Incidences of madness
by Miyanon
Summary: Goku takes a hit to the head, causing Kakarot to resuface in his body. Now the Z Gang has to figure out how to get him back to normal. But after several freak accidents, can anything ever be normal again? Huge rewriting project from chapters 1-34!
1. And it all starts with a rock

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will  
  
A/N: Man this really needed some updating! I just realized how... well, BAD this story started out. But give me a break, I started this in 2001 when I was just a freshman. Anyway, this is going all the way up to chapter 34! So enjoy!  
  
****  
  
Nearly half a century into the past, nothing disturbed the deafening silence of space. The light of billions of burning suns lit up the inky black heavens, hanging over the tiny blue planet called Earth. Only one small trail of light blemished the view of the sky. At first one would think that it was a shooting star. However, to any astrologer they would see it as a deadly meteor heading right at EARTH!  
  
But it wasn't that either.  
  
No, it was far too small to actually do any damage to the blue planet even if it was a meteorite. Which it wasn't. Nor would the astrologers of Earth even know of its existence.  
  
That was because of the advanced cloaking technology that was built into the so-called meteor made especially to pass through the surveillance systems of the human inhabitants. And the meteor was actually a transportation pod made by alien technology light years ahead of Earth's own.  
  
Yet what was the most astonishing of all, was that inside the metal pod, was a small sleeping alien child, completely unaffected by the accelerated G's that would crush any normal child's head by its sheer magnitude. Instead, it slept on, its time to awaken also the time of Earth's untimely demise, as the alien child was actually Kakarotto the great! The sole saiyajin sent in the name of Frieza to conquer the annoying, pesky, little planet called E-Arth!  
  
****  
  
Approximately 50 years in the future and three months after and dimensions away from the ill-fated World Martial Arts Tournament...  
  
One of the greatest warriors that ever lived is back to training with his dead master on Grand Kai's planet of fighters.  
  
No, Goku isn't dead. Again... He's just bored since Vegeta's mad at him for some odd reason or another that Goku still hasn't figured out quite yet. (Actually Goku had eaten Vegeta's chocolate cake, so the ouji's just having an extended tantrum over it.) So, deprived of his sole sparring partner, Goku resorts to coming back to his old master for some new training tips.  
  
However, watching some of the other great fights going around him, Goku has a bit of a hard time listening attentively to his master's boring lecture about comparing car components to saiyajin muscle.  
  
King Kai snaps, "GOKU! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"  
  
"Huh?" Goku looks away from the odd sort of sparring that's going on between the two unisex aliens in the bushes. He looks into King Kai's fuming face and pulls up a sheepish smile, "Oh sorry! I was kind of distracted!"  
  
The blue master gives a sigh of quasi-defeat and says, "Oh just never mind it, Goku. Now, we're going to do an exercise that will increase your reflexes and dodging capabilities."  
  
Goku nods, finally paying attention.  
  
" I'm going to hurl 2-ton boulders at you at first and then we'll add it up from there. You're going to have to dodge them. Some of them are going to hurl themselves back at you, as well. So you'll have to be alert at all time!"  
  
The saiyajin frowns, "Hey, wait a sec. I did the exact same exercise with Master Roshi! How is this any different?"  
  
Irritated as heck, King Kai yells, "JUST HEAD OVER TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD ALREADY!"  
  
"Yessir!" Goku yelps. He runs over to the middle of the large grounds, turning around and readying himself. Several metallic boulders poof out of nowhere, hovering in the air above the Kai. Frowning, Goku wonders how in the world he's going to have trouble dodging those. His question is soon answered when they fly at him at nearly light speed. The saiyajin has to IT just to dodge the first batch. "What the heck was that?!"  
  
"Training! Goku, watch out behind you!"  
  
He turns and with a shriek, narrowly dodges two more boulders, a different one nicking him on the shoulder. "OW!" Holding his nearly busted shoulder, he looks back at King Kai. The blue god is about to ask if he wants to stop when Goku suddenly breaks into a grand smile. "Man! This is intense! It's great!"  
  
King Kai sweatdrops, pointing at the broken shoulder. "Ah... don't you need to heal your shoulder?"  
  
"Oh pshaw," Goku waves it off as if it's nothing. "I don't need a shoulder to dodge stuff. It'll stay put for a while yet. But make the boulders heavier!" He adds excitedly.  
  
What he doesn't see though, is that behind him a stray boulder is slowly turning back in his direction. Only at the last second does King Kai notice it.  
  
"GOKU! HEAD!!"  
  
The saiyajin whips around to see a block heading right at his forehead. "AAHHK-!!" His last sense of awareness is a flash of white-hot pain, then he submerges completely into his subconscious. King Kai finally gets a handle on the rogue rock and it disappears into thin air.  
  
He rushes over to the saiyajin's side where he lies limp and out cold on the soft grass. Several fighters around them stop to see what the commotion's about. King Kai shakes the nearly lifeless saiyajin and yells, "Goku! Come on, son, wake up! You can't die again! You've only come back to life three months ago! Goku! Goku, wake up!" He panics when a line of crimson blood flows down Goku's forehead.  
  
Pikkon, who just happens to be nearby, comes over to the two and demands, "Kaio-sama? What happened?"  
  
"He got hit in the head with a bad boulder. He needs some help right away. You carry him over to Grand Kai's med-wing. I'll go look for Grand Kai himself!" The blue god leaves in a rush heading off to wherever he senses the higher god.  
  
Pikkon stares after him and slowly looks back at the unconscious saiyajin. He shakes his head in disbelief and mutters to himself, "I can't believe I'm doing this." He picks up Goku from the ground and nearly doubles over from the sheer muscle mass. "AUGH! What the hell?! How can you walk?!"  
  
****  
  
A/N: .........I just realized how long this is going to take... Ah, dammit. 


	2. I think you think I'm you, right?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
****  
  
Bright eyes slowly flutter open only to see into infinite black. Goku winces and sits up, holding his head in his hands, {Ugh, where the heck am I? What happened to King Kai?} Looking around the void, his panic rises, {Wait a sec! Why isn't my night vision working here?! I'm not blind am I?!} He looks down at his hands and to his relief sees that they're still visible. {Whew, man, I got scared for a second there. But what the heck is this place? And where is everybody?!}  
  
Standing up, he gets completely creeped out by his surroundings seeing as he can't even make out where sky and ground meet, or even how large this place is. He frowns. {Well maybe if I just walk in one direction I'll get somewhere.}  
  
Easier said than done.  
  
Goku walks, runs, flies and even teleports, but after what seems like days, he doesn't seem to be going anywhere. And the monotony of the place is getting to him. Day in, day out, it's the same thing over and over again. The endless black that just never seems to end! Finally setting down for a spell, Goku flops down on the ground, eyes wide as if he's afraid he's going to miss something if he blinks even once. {Kami! This is like the dimension of time only a bazillion times worse!}  
  
Suddenly a small face suddenly pops up in front of his face. Goku shrieks and nearly jumps up from his position on the ground. Taking a breather, Goku calms down and takes a better look at the child. His jaw drops in shock when he sees the little child is his near clone and has a tail. Both stare at each other, completely stunned.  
  
The young child takes the initiative by going around Goku and looking him over. The little boy whispers, "Holy cow! It's you! It has to be!"  
  
Goku frowns, "Who me? Who's me?"  
  
"You're Goku!" the child yells excitedly.  
  
The elder saiyajin grins, "Aw, I'm flattered. I didn't know I was that famous... in the middle of nowhere..." He adds slightly awkwardly, looking around the black void.  
  
Suddenly the kid smacks him over the head. "No, you idiot! I'm Kakarot's spirit! And I'm going to take over your body!" he announces proudly.  
  
Goku blinks, "What? WHAT?! Kakarot?! I'm Kakarot! Holy! What are you doing?!" The boy starts crawling onto his leg, making his way up to Goku's chest. The older saiyajin yells, "Hey! Get off me! This is completely inappropriate!"  
  
The kid replies, "Oh shut up you!" He finally plops himself on top of Goku's shoulders and suddenly punches at the older saiyajin's head.  
  
Goku can only give a small 'ipe' and closes his eyes. However, no impact comes and he blinks open one eye. Both widen in horror when he sees a fist coming right out of his forehead. "Oh my god..."  
  
The kid grins viscously, "Alright! The sweet spot!"  
  
"NO!" Goku pulls the kid off of him and plops him down onto the ground. "Don't do that again! That's just freaky!"  
  
The spirit glares at him, almost pouting and stands up to him puffing out his chest. "You think I'm going to let you off that easy?! I won't give up until Kakarot gets his body back!"  
  
Goku slowly shakes his head, thinking, {The poor kid, he must have identity problems.} He puts his hands on his hips and says calmly, "Look, can't we talk about this? I think you're confusing yourself with me."  
  
The child's face contorts into a look of pure disgust, "Me?! Think I'm you?! I've never been so insulted in my life!" Goku sweatdrops just as the kid adds, "How dare you compare me with yourself, Goku!"  
  
The taller saiyajin frowns, "Okay, now I'm confused."  
  
The child shakes his head, "I can't believe I'm even bothering with talking with you. That's it! CHARGE!" He lifts his hands above his head, suddenly forming a huge spirit bomb rivaling the one that Goku made to beat Majin Buu. Goku gives a loud shriek of surprise and backs away from the kid, to avoid the bomb. "GIVE ME MY BODY BACK!" With a great heave, the kid throws the spirit bomb at Goku, but the taller saiyajin manages to dodge it by ITing. Spirit mutters, "Aw dang it."  
  
Goku IT's right back and grabs Spirit, holding him in a headlock. "Look, kid, just calm down! You have some issues that I think you need to sort out!"  
  
Spirit yells in fury, "Get your filthy hands off me!" He breaks from Goku's vice-grip with hardly any struggle at all.  
  
The other saiyajin stares at him in alarm. "Holy jeez! You're really strong kid! You wouldn't happen to be the reincarnation of Buu, would you? Do you want to train with me?"  
  
The young child stares at Goku incredulously, "No, you idiot! I'm trying to take over your body! Why the hell would I want to train with you?!"  
  
Goku sighs, "Oh well, that's too bad. Look, if what you're saying is true, I don't really want to lend out my body. And I don't wanna hurt you either. You look too much like...like me! So if you don't mind, I'm getting out of here."  
  
Spirit yelps, "Hey! No! That's not fair!"  
  
Goku ignores him and IT's out of there. Looking around he finds himself in the black void once more, only without the kid in sight. "Whew, I think I lost him." Suddenly-  
  
"YAAAAHHHH!!!!"  
  
Goku screams in response and gets out of the way just in time to see Spirit whizzing right by him. With a loud smack, the kid hits the ground hard, headfirst. Large swirls replace his eyes temporarily, as a nasty dizzy spell comes over him. Goku leans over the kid and asks in a worried tone, "Uh- are you okay?"  
  
Suddenly a small fist comes up and goes straight through his head once again. Goku shrieks and tries pulling away, but it seems like the kid has a hold of something inside his head. Goku barely manages to wrench the kid's fist away and yells, "I told you not to do that!"  
  
"Haven't you been listening to me?! I told you I'm trying to take over your body! I never said it was going to be pretty!" The child picks himself up from the ground and grins, "I just made your body unstable from your mind. It'll be a piece of cake to enter you now!"  
  
Goku finally starts taking the kid's word and glares at him going into a fighting position, "I won't give up without a fight."  
  
"Good, I don't think that Kakarot would want the body of a coward."  
  
The taller saiyajin twitches as if the child has just hit a nerve. He asks quietly, "What did you say?"  
  
"You obviously showed your cowardice when you ran away from me." Spirit smirks, purposely goading the taller saiyajin.  
  
Goku yells defensively, "Hey, I did that because I didn't wanna hurt you!"  
  
"Ah, so you're not a coward, but you are a weakling."  
  
At that, Goku relaxes, "Okay I can live with that. Vegeta's called me that tons of times.  
  
Spirit visibly slumps, sweatdropping. "You know what, you're just weird." Then a grin comes onto his face. "Well, it's a good thing I'm keeping you alive! I might study your paradoxes later."  
  
"Okay, if you're not going to kill me, then what the heck are you going to do?" Spirit doesn't respond, an impish smile on his face. All of a sudden he flies straight at Goku, catching him off guard.  
  
Goku prepares for impact in a split second and gets knocked onto his back, sliding several feet across the black floor. He groans and props himself up onto his elbows, "Wha? What happened?" His eyes nearly bulge out of his head when he sees a ghostlike tail waving around coming from inside his stomach. All the color leaves his face and he tries in vain to get a hold on the furry tail, "Hey! Get out of me! What are you doing in there! Get out!"  
  
A muffled voice escapes his stomach yelling, "Not until I've done what I have to do." At first Goku feels nothing, but he suddenly sees a flash of white accompanied by an explosion of white-hot pain. For what seems like years passed, he lays writhing on the ground, screaming in pain. As quickly as the waves of pain arrived, they fade, leaving Goku on the ground in an exhausted heap. Goku squints open his eyes and to his complete shock he sees his body lying on the ground.  
  
{What the- What the hell am I doing up here if I'm down there?!} He freezes as he watches his body stir and get up on its own.  
  
His body's face slowly transforms, the eyes growing narrow and his grin turning into a vicious smirk. In a voice that's his and yet not, Goku's body opens its mouth to speak. "Wow, you've been taking very good care of this body, haven't you? But what happened to the tail? Oh well," Spirit sighs, "we can't be picky now can we?"  
  
Goku demands angrily, "What have you done?! Get out of my body! Give it back!"  
  
His body grins impishly back at him, "Well, Goku, it's like this. This body is Kakarot's now. Actually it was his in the first place, but you came and STOLE it from him! And besides what are you going to do about it? You're in spirit form. It's infinitely stronger than this body's strength, but you won't be able to move even a muscle for years."  
  
Growling, the spirited saiyajin yells, "I'll show you!" He struggles to move his metaphysical form, but it all comes to naught. Not an inch of him budges and he's having doubts on whether this form is even breathing! He growls with frustration as he struggles in vain.  
  
Spirit says smugly, "I didn't think so. Well, time to wake up Kakarot. He's been asleep for a very VERY long time." He turns from Goku and starts walking away.  
  
"HEY! DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME LIKE THAT! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"  
  
Spirit turns and says irritably, "Alright fine! Just so you stop blabbing already! I'm Kakarot's spirit. You're currently Goku's spirit since you haven't got a body. When I wake up, I'm automatically going to turn into Kakarot and forget about this whole ordeal. You happy?"  
  
Goku snaps, "Uh, NO! Is Kakarot going to go back to his mission to destroy Earth?"  
  
Spirit shrugs, "Damned if I care. I just wanna get out of here."  
  
"But don't you realize what will happen if he returns to his mission?! If he kills all humans, they'd include my sons, and his sons. My wife, his wife. My friends and his friends. They'll all be gone!"  
  
Spirit says, "Shut up fool! What about your saiyajin brothers, Raditz and Turles? Since they were Kakarot's brothers doesn't that make them your brothers too? And you killed them! How can you say those words without being a hypocrite? Huh?!"  
  
Goku yells, "They were going to hurt people, I had to stop them!"  
  
"Oh sure, murder your brothers because they were going to pick off a couple humans, that makes perfect sense!" Spirit waves his hands around exasperatingly. All Goku can do is sweatdrop. His body turns back away from him and waves, "Well, I've spent more than enough time talking to you, you body stealer. I've got an entity to awaken. And if you wanna see the action, look in that puddle of water below you," pointing at a pool of water that had miraculously escaped Goku's vision. "Gotta run, Goku's spirit. Ciao babe."  
  
He disappears in a flash of light, leaving Goku all alone suspended up in the air. Or whatever was supposed to air wherever the heck he was. Staring out into the eternal black void, Goku says weakly, "Hello? Anyone there?"  
  
"-anyone there?"  
  
"-one there?"  
  
"there?"  
  
The spirited saiyajin suddenly feels very, very alone right then.  
  
**** 


	3. Kakarot's revival!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will  
  
****  
  
2 months later  
  
"Hey, ---- he's com--- to!"  
  
"Goku, Go--, --- you --ay?"  
  
"I to-- you he'd --ke up --day!"  
  
Dark eyes slowly squint open, bright fluorescent lights blaring into them. The face of the tall saiyajin almost resembles one of an awakening babe, squinting out into the foreign peaceful world. His thoughts are so confused, meshing together in visions that he's never seen. Suddenly two faces block the light and hover over him expectantly.  
  
"Goku, Goku! Are you okay?!"  
  
The visions slowly fade into oblivion and Kakarot stares at the two gods wondering who the hell they are. And that blue one is so loud and annoying! The blue one sighs a breath of relief, "Whew, Goku, thank goodness you're awake! We thought you would stay in a coma forever!"  
  
The bearded one nods in assent, "Yes, it's good to have you back son. Your family has been quite worried about you. I got all my chefs to make a grand feast for you to *ahem* recover from your injury," looking quite proud of himself as he adds that.  
  
"What d'ya say, Goku? Are you ready to get back to training?"  
  
Kakarot frowns in confusion, "You're not human. Who are you? And who's Goku?" He sits up on the soft padded bed, looking around at his surroundings as well. It looks like he's in some sort of medical area.  
  
The blue god looks absolutely horrified, "What?! You don't know who you are?!"  
  
The tall saiyajin says indignantly, "Of course I know who I am! I am Kakarot, saiyajin warrior of Bejito-sei!"  
  
Both gods blink several times and Grand Kai whispers into the blue master's ear, "Exactly why is he using his saiyajin name?" King Kai just shrugs and turns back to the saiyajin with a smile on his face.  
  
"Boy, you really got us good there! Pretending you have amnesia! What a joke! That's why I'm proud to call you my pupil!"  
  
Kakarot twitches in disgust, "Me?! Your pupil! What do you take me for?! I am no jester and I demand to know who you are, where I am, and why you keep on calling me Goku?!"  
  
Now the kai's pull up looks of worry and the North Kai says tentatively, "We're calling you Goku because that's your name. I'm King Kai and this is Grand Kai. You were training with me and you got hit on the head by a nasty rock. You've been in comatose for 2 months about two months. Remember now?"  
  
Grand Kai adds, "You got an awful big bump on your head to prove it too. Here, a mirror." The bearded god zaps a mirror out of thin air and gives it to Kakarot to look in.  
  
A wail of pure horror ensues. The mirror drops to the floor and shatters into thousands of tiny crystal fragments. "What happened to me?!" Kakarot cries, looking over his hands and the rest of his body. "I'm so old! I have to be nearly a hundred or something!!" Both gods sweatdrop. Kakarot looks behind himself at his butt and yet another cry of horror follows. "What the hell?! My tail's gone!" He starts cursing at the top of his lungs, looking like he's having a panic attack. King Kai and Grand Kai slowly back away from him.  
  
The blue god laughs nervously, "Hehe, Goku, you really aren't acting like yourself, maybe you should stay in bed some more."  
  
Kakarot looks up at him with a new fierceness in his eyes, one belonging to a killer. "You did this to me didn't you?! I'll bet you cut my tail off, too!" He gets up unsteady and points at them, "You shall pay for messing with a saiyajin's tail with your lives!" He holds up his hands, forming a large ball of crackling green ki.  
  
King Kai yelps holding his hands out as if to appease the saiyajin, "Goku! Kakarot! Aren't you overreacting just a tad?!" With a pause, he demands, "And since when do you have green ki?!"  
  
"HOW ABOUT I GIVE YOU A SAMPLE?!"  
  
With a loud shriek, the two gods go running, right out of the med wing, screaming mad saiyajin and calling for Pikkon. Kakarot is left completely alone in the ward, along with dozens of empty beds. With a sigh, the saiyajin flops back onto his bed not really wanting to go after them and he fingers the hospital robes that he's been given. "Where the hell am I? I didn't learn a thing from those idiots."  
  
Then the door opens and a plump yellow nurse comes into the room with a sweet smile on her face. "Oh hello dear! It's nice to see you're finally up!"  
  
Kakarot asks, "Um... do you know who I am?" He notes the nametag on her uniform with the name Miss Midge.  
  
"Oh no, son, I'm sorry. I never inquire on a sick fighter's backgrounds. A sort of personal policy. Did you have a nice rest?" she adds pleasantly.  
  
However, the saiyajin sighs a breath of relief, "Oh thank god! I'm sick of people calling me Goku!" Suddenly his stomach gurgles and Kakarot's face wrenches, "Ohh, hungry..."  
  
The nurse laughs, "I think a breakfast can be arranged!"  
  
"Sorry, ma'am I have to decline. Am I on Earth?"  
  
"No, no, far from it. You're in Otherworld! Land of the dead." Kakarot's entire face turns as pale as a ghost. But then Miss Midge adds, "Oh don't look so glum! You're not dead yet! Do you have any business on Earth?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, I have to purge the planet in the name of Frieza."  
  
Completely oblivious, the nurse smiles, "Oh that's nice. Well, if you really want to get over there, there's a teleport outside. But why don't you change into these clothes first?" She holds out a folded up orange and blue gi. "You can't go out in just those flimsy robes, now can you?" Kakarot bobs his head in thanks and starts changing in front of the nurse. Miss Midge giggles at the eye candy that she's getting, "My goodness! We don't get many lookers like you here often."  
  
Kakarot turns as red as a beet and speeds through the process, only to look at the clothes in complete disgust. "Oh yuck! Human clothes!"  
  
Midgie smiles a bit impishly, "Yes, yes, it's quite loose. Spandex would look MUCH better on you."  
  
The tall saiyajin eyes her warily, sweatdropping. "Rrright. I'll just be going now." He bows respectfully and says, "Thank you very much, crazy woman."  
  
"It was no problem, deary."  
  
Kakarot walks outside, actually short of running, outside to the teleport. At that instant, Grand Kai and King Kai barge into the medical ward with Pikkon following close behind. The blue god yells, "Okay, Kakarot! You better calm down or else we're going to sick Pikkon on you!"  
  
Pikkon sweatdrops, "I'm not a dog!"  
  
Only then they notice that the only the plump Miss Midge is in the room, gathering up the sheets that the tall saiyajin was residing in. Grand Kai says urgently, "Midgie dear, have you seen a rather tall man in here? One of the patients?"  
  
The nurse giggles, "I sure have, Mr. Kai. He should be on his way to Earth by now."  
  
North Kai stares at her in complete horror and runs outside to where the teleport is. "GOKU! GOKU! YOU CAN'T LEAVE HERE!! YOU CAN'T CONTINUE YOUR MISSION!!!" Seeing that the saiyajin is gone, the blue god falls onto his knees yelling up at the sky, "NOO!!! THIS IS TERRIBLE!!"  
  
Pikkon himself looks extremely pale. "Earth's going to be decimated!"  
  
"WHO CARES ABOUT EARTH?!! I'M GOING TO LOSE MY STRONGEST FIGHTER TO HELL!!"  
  
Grand Kai and Pikkon both sweatdrop.  
  
**** 


	4. This isn't good

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
In a void of total darkness, a limp sleeping form hangs up high from invisible, indestructible mental chains, not noticing that the everlasting darkness of the pool below it was shifting from black to blurry visions. Murmurs rise from the pool, echoing in the void, barely inaudible. However, they manage to rouse the sleeping form from its nightmarish slumber.  
  
Dull ebony eyes slowly flutter open, only to be blinded by this sudden foreign source of light. Goku, who had been hanging there in the void for nearly two months, has finally awakened from his meditative trance. He really didn't have much other choice but to go into comatose or else he would have gone crazy, being all alone in the dark. He was also starting to get a phobia of the place slowly closing in on him and suffocating him to death.  
  
Even when the pool is activated, Goku feels slightly smothered by the intensity of the black void and his eyes twitch around nervously before they rest on the pool.  
  
To his surprise it looks like he's watching some sort of movie and Kakarot is the main character. {How the- Where in the world am I seeing this from?!}  
  
He frowns when he watches the lost saiyajin's interaction with the two Kai's and... Miss Midge... That was... interesting...  
  
{Hey, maybe Kakarot isn't such a bad guy after all,} he thinks to himself. That is until...  
  
[["Oh don't look so glum! You're not dead yet! Do you have any business on Earth?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am, I have to purge the planet in the name of Frieza."]]  
  
Goku cries out in horror, "NO! KAKAROT! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!"  
  
He cries out even louder when the oblivious nurse tells Kakarot about the teleporter to Earth, his metaphysical body becoming awash in cold terror.  
  
{Oh God no!! I have to do something to stop him, but dammit! I can't even move in this form! But I have to try!}  
  
In pure frustration and fear, he attempts once again to move his immutable position. All the meanwhile thoughts of worry for his children spring to mind, {What if he meets up with Gohan? Or Goten? They won't know about the change and keep be totally defenseless. Kakarot will destroy them, and they'll think it's me! Killed by their own father! My own hands would destroy my children! Try Goku! You have to try harder!}  
  
**** 


	5. At last! PRINCE Vegeta

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
****  
  
Far above the sky blue planet called Earth, a threat of gigantic proportions is about to be unleashed upon the unsuspecting peaceful planet, only five months after the destruction of Buu...  
  
Suddenly a floating body materializes out of nowhere up in the empty sky. Kakarot frowns at the lack of ground beneath his feet and looks down. With a shriek of sudden terror, he starts to tumble towards the Earth. "Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh SHIT!!"  
  
The ground was starting to look really big really fast!! Suddenly, calling up unknown powers, his body stops itself and levitates only a few feet above the ground. Kakarot slowly squints his eyes open and sees himself hovering above the green ground. He frowns, "I'm...flying?" To his utter amazement he is. Something that he's never actually done and only seen before. Concentrating steadily, he wills his ki to slowly fall out from underneath and lands him softly on the grassy floor. Once safe, Kakarot clutches at his heart and says eyes wide, "That stupid machine!! If I ever get back to Otherworld, I'll destroy it for sticking me way up in the sky like that!!"  
  
Kakarot finds himself on a cliff side, facing a cerulean sea and a woody continent. He feels a thrill of terror near the edge and quickly backs himself away from it. He didn't like heights, never did and never will! Only it seems like his fear intensified with his awful recent experience. He heads into the wooded area and thinks over the changes over Earth he actually managed to see while he was falling. {Earth has definitely changed a lot since I was a child. So many cities and towns all over the place! It's definitely going to be harder to wipe out this planet than before. But once there's a moon, it'll be a piece of cake!}  
  
He suddenly pauses and looks back at his tailless bottom, "Dammit! I forgot I don't have my tail! Now what am I supposed to do?!" With a sigh of defeat, the lost saiyajin mumbles to himself, "I guess I'll have to figure that out later... But for now I just have to become more acquainted with... myself..." He realizes how wrong that sounded.  
  
Through his trek through the deep woods, he finally finds something that he can look at his reflection in. A quiet isolated pond, unaffected by rippling winds, as calm as glass. He settles down near the edge to look at his reflection.  
  
He frowns at, what is to his eyes, an ancient reflection. Shaking his head in silent denial he wonders, {How in the world did I get this old and not even know it? I know of only one technology that could have kept me unconscious for so long. I must have been in a sleeping chamber my whole life. Yes, that's it. I was imprisoned in a sleeping chamber and those dicks cut my tail off and woke me up. But did they imprison me in the first place? They were really friendly.}  
  
Fighting to revive old memories, he suddenly recalls a friendly wrinkled face. The very first one that he saw on this blue-green planet. {It must have been that old man, what's-his- name, oh yeah... Granpapa. I never knew the old foagy was capable of such technology as a sleeping chamber. I suppose he must have, or else I wouldn't be like this.}  
  
He pauses into a moment of reminiscence, looking up at the blue sky, "Father, do you think I'm dead? After all these years? Are you still alive? I hope to the gods that you are. Once I finish my mission, I'll be able rejoin you and we can fight that Frieza. When he's gone, the saiyajin race can be free from his tyranny for good."  
  
Oh the bitter irony.  
  
He sighs once again. "The only problem is the changes that have passed through all the years. When I was young there were only small villages. Those I could blast so easily, but with those cities it's going to be impossible with my level of experience. ARGH! All my attacks are obsolete now! If I want to kill these humans in the shortest time possible, I need some sort of strategy and a base of operations...and someone who will teach me more powerful moves. But who can I find that will teach me? I'm all alone here on this mud ball." He suddenly laughs at himself, "What kind of saiyajin fights a guerilla war anyway?"  
  
Kakarot looks at his reflection once more. It only seems like yesterday that he was a child. Now his whole life is gone. Then something mysterious happens. The reflection of the water...changes. The saiyajin stares at it intently and watches his eyes grow wider from his constant scowl and his mouth forms a big goofy grin. He seems to be looking at a totally different person. Kakarot frowns, "What the...That's me, but it can't be..."  
  
Kakarot bats his hand at it and the ripples of the water make it impossible to see. When it does come back, it's back to his regular constantly scowling reflection. Kakarot says in wonder, "Was that real?" He starts to ponder this phenomenon, but his thoughts are suddenly interrupted. By a rough, irritated voice.  
  
"Kakarot, what the hell are you doing here? Figured out what you've done wrong yet?"  
  
The younger saiyajin freezes instantly as if he was just electrocuted and he slowly looks around for the source of the voice and his eyes come in contact with Vegeta, the great and powerful saiyajin no ouji.  
  
Whipping around, Kakarot falls down on his bottom in complete shock,"Holy-! Oh my god, Vegeta- I mean Prince Vegeta! What are you- Why are you here?!"  
  
The ouji's eyebrows knit into a scowl. "What do you mean what am I doing here, Kakarot? What business is it of yours anyway?"  
  
Kakarot yelps quickly,"Yes sir, so sorry sir!" afraid the prince will bite his head off.  
  
Vegeta eyes Kakarot suspiciously, and starts to slowly pace around the stupefied saiyajin until he reaches his side by the pond, "Why the hell do you keep on calling me sir and prince?"  
  
Kakarot says baffled, "Well sir, it's your proper title, isn't it?"  
  
A frown meets him once more and the third class saiyajin is afraid that somehow he caused his ouji some distaste or other. However, Vegeta looks over Kakarot, trying to decipher his odd actions. {This definitely is not the way that Kakarot usually acts... But maybe he found a new way to apologize to me.} A sudden grin comes to his face, {The flatterer. He definitely knows me by now. But I'm still going to make him work for my forgiveness.} So Vegeta decides to stick around longer, to boost his already bloated ego.  
  
"So Kakarot, what are you doing here on Earth? I thought you were in the Otherworld."  
  
Encouraged by the smile, Kakarot answers, "Yes, I was there. But I got some crazy old lady to send me back to Earth."  
  
"Who sent you back?"  
  
"Someone called Miss Midge."  
  
Vegeta suddenly paled. While he was up in Otherworld he heard... certain stories about the so called Miss Midge. "H-how did you get her to send you here?"  
  
Kakarot says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "I told her about my mission on Earth."  
  
The ouji sweatdrops and mumbles to himself, "Mission... Rrright..."  
  
The younger saiyajin suddenly interrupts Vegeta's disturbed train of thought, "Prince Vegeta, how did you know I was in-"  
  
Vegeta suddenly snaps in irritation,"SILENCE! Do not question a superior officer!"  
  
Kakarot shows a slight sense of panic, "Yes sir! Sorry sir!"  
  
Vegeta watches Kakarot for a while and then says, "Since you acknowledge I am your better, why don't you come with me to train in the mountains?" He adds in silent thought, {Then I can reap the benefits out of this unorthodox apology without anyone knowing!} He fights down a mischievous grin.  
  
"Prince Vegeta, it would be an honor, sir!" Kakarot beams. Vegeta's ego soars even higher, but then the younger saiyajin adds, "But I was wondering if you could teach me instead because I need to learn more powerful moves. You'd be my first teacher!"  
  
Vegeta is again suspicious, "I thought that the old pervert was your first sensei."  
  
Kakarot frowns, "Pervert?" Well, come to think of it Granpapa did have a few randy magazines that a friend of his had given him. "Well, I suppose, but he really didn't teach me much."  
  
A smirk. "Oh so you're going to denounce him then? Good, I never really liked the old man."  
  
In slight confusion, the younger saiyajin starts out, "But sir, I-"  
  
Vegeta yells just for the hell of it, "SILENCE! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME?!"  
  
"Yes sir! Sorry sir!"  
  
Oh how he enjoys the look of panic on the younger saiyajin's face. Vegeta considers Kakarot's request. After a long period of silence he says, "I have certain conditions..."  
  
Kakarot says, Sir, I'll do anything, anything!"  
  
Vegeta slowly smiles. This is going to be very VERY fun. "Fine, we'll get started when we get to my retreat. I have a cabin up in the mountains." He turns to walk back to the mountain path that he just came from.  
  
"Sir?" Kakarot says meekly.  
  
"What now?!"  
  
Kakarot ask hesitantly, "I was wondering if you had an extra set of clothes with you."  
  
Vegeta narrows his eyes, "Why? You're already wearing clothes."  
  
The other saiyajin blushes slightly, "Well, I don't want to stay in these human clothes. It's kind of embarrassing..."  
  
The ouji smirks, "Finally, you're talking like a true saiyajin."  
  
Kakarot frowns in confusion once more, {I wasn't before?}  
  
A white leathered hand slips into more white armor, and Vegeta says,"I just happen to have an extra set with me. Consider yourself lucky." He tosses a capsule down on the ground and it poofs to reveal a box packed with a full set of a saiyajin spandex suit, armor and even a scouter. Vegeta adds, "Don't fret about being taller. It's a one size fits all."  
  
Kakarot says curiously, "I'm taller than you?"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "Don't mock me. Look at yourself, you baka."  
  
Looking to compare Kakarot says in slight awe, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I've always considered you taller than I am."  
  
Vegeta twitches, {He's going a tad to far in trying to flatter me.} Then to his complete shock, the younger saiyajin starts to change right in front of him. Vegeta yelps, "Whoa! Hey! What are you doing?!"  
  
Kakarot says, "I'm changing sir, but if you don't want me to hurt your eyes with the sight of my lowly body, I'll just..."  
  
Vegeta sighs "Nevermind, Kakarot. I might as well have gotten used to your nudist ways."  
  
Kakarot raises his eyebrow, "Uh... Okay..."  
  
As Kakarot slowly slips out of his orange gi, Vegeta desperately tries to keep from staring at him. He never really likes it when the stupid baka does that in front of him. Mainly because of the deep rooted seed of envy over the other saiyajin's perfect body. He steals a tiny quick glance and scowls, {Oh man...if only I had a body like that.}  
  
Kakarot blushes, misinterpreting the look, and tries not to look at the ouji, speeding the process.  
  
Once he's done, Vegeta coughs and regains his composure, acting as if nothing happened, "Alright let's go then." Kakarot nods and leaves the old gi behind and follows his prince up the muddy mountain trail.  
  
**** 


	6. Ugh

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
****  
  
A couple days later from the incident, whether it's a week or a month, Goku can't really tell because of the black hole he's stuck in, he watches the images in the puddle of water intently as Kakarot is turned into Vegeta's lowly servant.  
  
Goku stares at the water in confusion, "If I didn't know any better... I'd say Vegeta's taking advantage of Kakarot..." He blinks a couple of times and then yelps, "Wait a sec! He is!!" Once enlightened, the saiyajin's eyes immediately narrow and he twitches, "Great, Vegeta's ego must be soaring by now."  
  
Already, the ouji has ordered his servant to do the laundry, make the beds, wash the dishes, clean the cabin thrice over, hunt and prepare the food everyday, all of which Kakarot really doesn't know how to do so he and Goku both get a painful education on it.  
  
And whenever the completely oblivious Kakarot asks if Vegeta will teach him yet, the ouji always dismisses him with a wave, saying, 'You're not worthy enough. Go train some more.'  
  
He even watches helplessly as Kakarot stands by and lets Vegeta eat all the food that he had hunted that day.  
  
Infuriated at this atroscity, Goku huffs, "I can't believe this! And why hasn't Vegeta figured out that it isn't me yet?!"  
  
His stomach already feels like it's eating itself and not only that but the training that Kakarot is putting himself through is damn near insane! Goku can't help but admire his determination. Except... "KAKAROT!! WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT BACK?!! I KNOW YOU'RE HUNGRY, TOO!!"  
  
But of course his desperate cries go in vain.  
  
Goku would've hung in his head if his spirit form permitted. Instead all he can do is watch and wait, hoping that somehow the ouji will actually DO something about the change in his body's behavior. "Why are we both just so naïve?" Goku sighs, "Just my luck that Kakarot finds Vegeta, the only one that calls me Kakarot."  
  
**** 


	7. Everyone's annoyed

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
****  
  
For ten days, Kakarot went through hell and back trying to please the prince and his bizarre whims. Sure he understands that abstaining from food, torturous as it is, helps mental concentration and separates desires from needs... But what did massaging the prince's back every morning have to do with training? And preparing his bath and doing his dishes and all sorts of other strange menial chores. The prince obviously must have servants, since- well, he's a prince. So there's no reason for these chores other than training. Kakarot just wishes he can understand it though.  
  
Inside his mind, Goku stays in a constant pout, knowing exactly why Vegeta is making Kakarot doing these things, and he starts to resemble Vegeta in the way that his face stays screwed in a glowering sulk nearly all the time.  
  
However, by the eleventh day, Vegeta figures out a saiyajin can abstain from food for only so long, when he sees Kakarot staring at him hungrily and muttering under his breath about the giant carrot mocking him. Taking that into consideration, Vegeta decides to give the younger saiyajin a day off from "training" for him to recover.  
  
Late that same afternoon, while watching Kakarot gorge himself with enough food to sustain a small family for a year, Vegeta sighs and reflects on exactly what is keeping the saiyajin from running off.  
  
{Surely the baka thinks that he's already paid for his apology ten times over,} he thinks to himself. {Why is he staying here? Maybe he's just waiting until I forgive him. He's so stupid, he can't even take up the subtle hints. I'm NOT going to forgive him though. Never! If I forgive him for that, then he'll be begging me to forgive him for other things such as becoming Super Saiyajin first or introducing me to that damned wench of his OR for insinuating we could ever be related if our children got together! Gods! I'm never going to have another child after Trunks anyway! That stupid baka!}  
  
Managing to work himself up into anger, he storms back to his bedroom and decides not to think about the saiyajin's strange behavior any more. Lying back on his bed, he says outloud to himself, "I'll just spar with him tomorrow and then tell him to piss off. Maybe he'll finally get the hint."  
  
With that said, he closes his eyes to get a much needed nap.  
  
**** 


	8. Annialation

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
The next day, Kakarot gets up bright and early, much recovered from his ten day ordeal. Vegeta is already up and waits for Kakarot outside his cabin door. Kakarot sees him and gives a quick bow, "Good morning, your highness. What 'training' would you like me to do today?"  
  
Vegeta says, "Forget that crap. I've decided to change your training a little bit. After much deliberation, I have decided that it is time to teach you some moves. Follow me over to the mountain."  
  
Kakarot looks at Vegeta with excitement and salutes, "Yes sir! Thank you sir!"  
  
Vegeta mutters, "Don't mention it...ever."  
  
Over at the base of the mountain, Vegeta says, "Now I want you to show me your best attack."  
  
Kakarot pales, "My best attack?!"  
  
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID?!"  
  
Kakarot says, "But sir, I..."  
  
"Just do it!" Vegeta gets ready to fight, {He he he. I practiced all night, to block his Kame-hame-ha. Once I do, he'll thin himself a fool, and give up, and go home.}  
  
Vegeta says, "Aim at me so I can see the full extent of your power."  
  
Kakarot sighs in defeat and forms the energy in his hands. Vegeta can see at once this isn't the long awaited Kame-hame-ha. Kakarot aims at Vegeta and yells, "Saiyan Rage!"  
  
The beam flies towards Vegeta, but Vegeta catches it with his left hand. Then he disintegrates it, making Kakarot wince at his utter failure. Vegeta says quietly, "What the hell was that?"  
  
Kakarot says meekly, "My best attack..."  
  
Vegeta yells, "THE HELL IT WAS! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR KAME-HAME-HA, YOU ASSHOLE! I SPENT MY WHOLE NIGHT PRACTISING TO BLOCK THAT! HOW COULD YOU DISGRACE THE SAIYAN RACE LIKE THIS?! THIS IS UTTERLY THE WORST ATTACK, I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! EVEN YOUR LOW-LEVEL FATHER WOULD BE ASHAMED TO SEE YOU NOW! Not like you ever care."  
  
The insult seems to have struck a nerve. Kakarot clenches his fists and starts to shake with anger. Kakarot says quietly, "My father? You know nothing about my father. He's no low level."  
  
Vegeta says, "You're the one who knows nothing. He was a weakling. A low level of the worst sorts. A rebel. He was disloyal to my father and disobeyed his every wish."  
  
Kakarot yells, "YOU'RE WRONG! HE WAS THE STRONGEST SAIYAN ALIVE! EVEN STRONGER THAN YOU'RE FATHER!"  
  
Vegeta yells, "YOU'RE FATHER WAS NOTHING BUT A LOW LEVEL PIECE OF CRAP! AND THAT'S ALL HE EVER WILL BE!"  
  
Kakarot clenches his fists harder until he makes his palms start to bleed. Vegeta looks at Kakarot with surprise, why this change from before? Never in his experiences before had he fought with him about his father. In fact Kakarot had never even mentioned his father before. Now he is beyond rage, when Vegeta had said Bardock was weak.  
  
Kakarot snarls, "I'll show you who's weak." He places two fingers on each temple and closes his eyes.  
  
Vegeta looks at him with shock, "It can't be!"  
  
A ball of red light surrounds Kakarot and the ground around him begins to break up. The ball grows larger and larger, beating like a heart. Kakarot opens his eyes and yells, "ANNIALATION!" A giant red beam blast out from the ball and heads straight at Vegeta.  
  
Vegeta looks at it in horror, but regains his wits and blasts the beam. However not only does he not succumb the beam, he feeds it, making it grow even larger. Right before it is about to hit, Vegeta dodges it in time, only to see it come swerving back at him! Vegeta looks over at Kakarot and sees he's actually controlling the beam with just his forefinger.  
  
Desperately, Vegeta tries to outmaneuver the beam by flying through the mountains. However the beam just blasts through the mountains while Vegeta is moving around them. Vegeta watches the beam gain on him, not paying attention to what lay in front of him. Too late to notice, he crashes into a mountain head on and falls to its base.  
  
Vegeta recovers quickly, but cannot move quickly enough out of its path. Vegeta puffs his chest up and awaits the pain with dignity. The beam flies from the sky like an ominous element that Vegeta cannot escape, as one cannot escape death. Vegeta can feel the heat from the beam as it comes closer. Vegeta closes his eyes just as it is about to hit. But then...nothing.  
  
Vegeta opens one eye and sees the beam, hovering only a centimeter away from his face. Then it diminishes into nothing in a flash of light. Vegeta looks up and see Kakarot, with a cruel smirk on his face very similar to his own. It seems Kakarot's new discovered power did more than just make Vegeta run for his life.  
  
Vegeta tries to save his pride, but fails. So instead he just sits there for an hour, recovering. Kakarot watches him the whole time, outwaiting him. He has a new light in his eyes, one of greed.  
  
Finally Vegeta demands, "Why did you stop?!"  
  
Kakarot smirks, "I needed you."  
  
Vegeta gets up and glares at Kakarot, "Where did you learn that move?"  
  
Kakarot says, "My father mentioned something about it before."  
  
"But..."  
  
Kakarot sneers, "But what, sir?"  
  
"DON'T QUESTION ME!"  
  
"Yes sir," Kakarot replies grinning.  
  
Vegeta wonders, {How in the world could Kakarot know that move? True enough, I've seen Bardock use it plenty of times. But I thought that Kakarot couldn't remember his father or his home for that matter. If I teach him, he'll become even stronger than he already is and I know he's already planning on killing me. I can see it in his eyes.} Vegeta looks up at them again and they seem to shine with hunger, but for what?  
  
Vegeta returns the glare and thinks, {This is not the same Kakarot as before. I'm going to have to kill him, but not now. Not when I'm at his mercy.}  
  
All of a sudden Trunks comes flying through. Vegeta thinks, {Oh no! The little brat will ruin everything!}  
  
Trunks then spies Kakarot up in the air, "Wow! Goku! What are you doing here?!" Kakarot doesn't notice him. Trunks flies up to Kakarot and taps him on the shoulder, "Helloo! It's me, Trunks. Y'know, Vegeta's kid?"  
  
Kakarot's head snaps over to his direction and he looks at Trunks with shock, "Vegeta's child?!"  
  
Trunks puffs up his chest proudly, "The one and only."  
  
Kakarot says, "B-but you're not saiyan!"  
  
"Well duh, jeez Goku. Some people would think you've lost your brain or something."  
  
Vegeta thinks, {No! That idiot!}  
  
Kakarot's eyes widen with anger and shock, "DON'T CALL ME GOKU, YOU FREAK!" Then he grabs Trunks and throws him down to the ground. Trunks screams as the impact his body makes a mini crater on the ground, causing him to pass out.  
  
Vegeta yells, "Trunks! You fool!" 


	9. GOKU!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot flies over to Vegeta and says, "What is this?! You've been breeding half saiyan freaks?! Or maybe worse, you're trying to pass as a human! I wondered what happened to your tail. You cut it off didn't you?! Trying to look human. Disgusting."  
  
Vegeta yells, "I didn't cut it off! And how can you say that trying to look human is disgusting, you psychotic hypocrite! While I retained our saiyan ways, you were here on Earth and have forgotten everything about how world. I still live by the Saiyans' code, while you...you dared to call yourself an earthling and have been undermining our race ever since!"  
  
Kakarot yells, "What do you know?! I've never forgotten my world, ever!"  
  
Vegeta yells, "You sure have been acting like it! Or was it a charade this whole time? If it is then you have no excuse to turn your back on the Saiyan race."  
  
Kakarot looks at Vegeta suspiciously, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Years back, when I first came to Earth to destroy it, I found out that you helped the nameck kill Raditz, your own brother and that you denounced the saiyan race."  
  
Kakarot growls, "Lies, they're all lies."  
  
Vegeta, seeing Kakarot's reaction, smirks and continues, "You even fought against me. Just so that you could save your precious Earth. And living on this planet, you married a human and yourself bred 'two' half saiyan freaks."  
  
This is too much for Kakarot, "YOU'RE LYING! IT'S ALL LIES! I don't even know any namecks! I was imprisoned in a sleeping chamber my whole life! You shall pay dearly for these deceptions. You only made that up to justify what you, yourself have done."  
  
Vegeta looks at him in shock, "You can't remember anything?" Suddenly the realization dawns on Vegeta, "Are you Goku-Kakarot or Kakarot-Kakarot?"  
  
Kakarot yells, "I don't know why everyone keeps on calling me Goku! You're the only one who recognized me as I am. I've had too many strangers come up to me and call me that ridiculous name!"  
  
Vegeta thinks, {His memories...all gone. Which means...He's going to destroy Earth! Now he's a full fledged saiyan with absolutely no connections. He's a force to be reckoned with...just as I once was.}  
  
Vegeta asks, "Do you want to know why I'm here?"  
  
Kakarot asks suspiciously, "Why?"  
  
Vegeta answers, "Because Vegeta is gone, Kakarot." In this he means the planet Vegeta.  
  
Kakarot spat, "So you've given yourself a new name to go along with your 'new' human life too? Despicable. You're even more pathetic than I thought."  
  
Vegeta yells, "You look here, Kakarot..."  
  
Kakarot interrupts, "I know a good name for you. How about that ridiculous human name I always keep on hearing, Goku. Yes, that's it. From now on, your name shall be Goku."  
  
Vegeta stares at him in shock. This is beyond any insult anyone has ever given to him before. He can barely comprehend that anyone would even think about doing something so...so...beyond all insults. As you can see, it's indescribable.  
  
Kakarot smirks, "I don't need any lessons from you now. In fact, I think I'm better off without them."  
  
Kakarot starts to fly away, but Vegeta comes out of his state of total shock and yells, "Come back here and fight me!"  
  
Kakarot answers, "You're not worth fighting. Well so long, Goku." He flies up more, but turns and says, "Oh yeah, you might want to take care of your freak side-show!"  
  
He flies away, laughing maniacally. Vegeta just stands there, too angry to speak. 


	10. YES! I CAN MOVE!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
In Kakarot's mind, Goku was watching the pool. He thinks, {I can't believe how strong that attack is. He sent Vegeta fleeing for his life! I'll bet Vegeta is hopping mad now. I can't let Kakarot hurt anymore people!...Like Trunks. I have to do something! Well I can't move this body all at once. Maybe if I try one little thing at a time.}  
  
Goku tries for hours on end, trying to move. But all he managed to do was move his little finger, just ever so slightly. Goku thinks, {Grrrgh! I'm never going to help anyone at this rate!} He turns super saiyan and makes fists, {I can't even move!...Hey, wait a minute.} He looks at his hands and moves them so easily and he continues to move all his other body parts too.  
  
Goku says, "Awesome! I can move now!" He goes into his regular form and he tries to move, "Damn! I'm stuck again! When I go super saiyan is the only time I'm strong enough to move." He goes super saiyan again and looks in the pool. To his surprise, Kakarot is super saiyan too, but Kakarot doesn't seem to notice. Goku goes normal, and so does he.  
  
Goku says, "There's only one explanation for this...I'm in control of becoming super saiyan because I was the one who actually learned it...And my body responds whenever 'I' go super saiyan... So this means Kakarot can go super saiyan unless I do!" That took a little while, but hey, he got it.  
  
"Wow! I'm actually in the game after all. I control Kakarot's super saiyan ability and I'm ready to take back control of my body, if Kakarot's Spirit ever comes back. Now I just have to rely on my friends to help me."  
  
He starts to watch the pool again. He says, "Now I'm ready for you, Kakarot." 


	11. He's still asleep!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
It's dusk now. Kakarot stays near Vegeta's cabin, spying on him. He watches Vegeta get his kid into a bed, get some food, and cook it. He also sees Vegeta had a secret stash of food the whole time. Kakarot, looking through his binoculars (Don't ask me how he got those.) growls, "I don't believe that little asshole! He made me go hunting every day for him!"  
  
Now Vegeta is about to go to sleep. Kakarot thinks, {Ha! Now's the perfect chance to get even with him.} He has all the things he needs. His set of human clothes, the note, and his backpack of other necessities. It took him a long time to recover those clothes, he had just left them behind where he met Vegeta that first day back on Earth. He shudders to think of what a fool he had been. Vegeta drifts off to sleep and Kakarot quietly flies over to the cabin, clothes and note in hand.  
  
He tiptoes into the cabin, but as soon as he puts his foot in the door, he accidentally trips an alarm. Kakarot yelps, "Crap! My cover's blown!" He hurries to find the computer controlling the alarm and disables it. Kakarot seems to be very good with computers. Kakarot looks around and wonders why Vegeta hasn't rushed in on him yet. After several minutes, still nothing. Kakarot thinks, {Maybe he set up a trap for me. Well I have no choice. I have to keep going.}  
  
Kakarot quietly sneaks through the house and finds Vegeta's bed with a big lump in it. Kakarot inspects it cautiously, only to discover that the lump is Vegeta, still asleep. Kakarot sweatdrops, "I don't believe it. He's still asleep. Even after all that noise. What's the point of having an alarm if he can't even hear it?"  
  
He snaps his fingers in front of Vegeta's face to make sure he's absolutely asleep. Then he takes Vegeta's clothes off and replaces it with the human clothes. Kakarot smirks, {Now he'll look like the human he's trying to be. He's not worthy of this saiyan armor. Now I'll just leave this note here.}  
  
He leaves the room and looks into Trunks's room. Kakarot smirks, {Hello freak.} After his business is done, he flies back to his roost to rest until morning. Kakarot thinks, {I can't wait to see the look on Goku's face.} Then he drifts off to sleep. 


	12. Gone

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
The pool turns darker and Goku cannot escape the effects of tiredness either. He mumbles to himself, "I wonder what would happen if I stuck my hand in that pool. Hmmm...Who knows, maybe I could reach into his mind and actually talk to him. Don't get your hopes up, Goku."  
  
Goku turns super saiyan and casually sticks his hand in. Suddenly, it feels like something grabs his hand and is pulling him under. Goku yelps, "Whoa! What's happening?!" Goku tries to pull his appendage out of the drink, but it's impossible even in super saiyan form. Goku goes ssj3, showing how desperate the situation is. However, the force is too strong and pulls harder, making Goku's strength give way. He screams, but he disappears without a trace and that is left is the rippling pool of water. 


	13. Super Saiyan? HA!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot wakes up next morning, with screaming echoing in his mind. He tries to recall that weird dream he had. He thinks, {What a strange dream...A pool...and a man...But who was he?} But the details slip from his mind as sand does from a sifter. Kakarot shrugs it off, {Oh well, it doesn't matter now. I wonder how my friend, Goku's, doing.} He watches through his binoculars and sees Vegeta get up from bed. Vegeta walks into Trunks's room and sees that he still hasn't woken up. Then he goes into the bathroom and from a mile away, Kakarot hears, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"  
  
Kakarot smirks, "That idiot."  
  
Vegeta looks at himself with big buggy eyes, "What am I doing wearing Kaka- Goku's clothes?! He must have been here last night." Vegeta runs outside and looks around for Kakarot. He yells out into the dewy morning, "I KNOW YOU'RE HERE KAKAROT! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! YOU'RE MOCKING ME AREN'T YOU?! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS INSULT!.....AND GIVE ME MY CLOTHES BACK!"  
  
Kakarot is up in his tree, stifling his laughter. Vegeta notices the note on the shirt and tears it off and reads it. He says aloud, "Goku, I know how much you so want to be a human. So I decided to make you a present of these human clothes, that you have probably noticed by now. I took the liberty to take your clothes too. I don't think you really need them. Besides, as you are a traitor of the saiyan race, you are not worthy to even touch the armor of the Saiyans?! I also decided to save you from shame and to not tell my father about your little freak?! I suppose I'll be seeing you when I kill all the inhabitants of Earth?! Sincerely Kakarot?!"  
  
As Vegeta reads through the note his rage grows and grows. Now his face has turned a deep reddish hue, and he disintegrates the note in his hand. He yells, "I'LL KILL YOU, KAKAROT! I'LL FIND YOU AND I'LL KILL YOU! NO ONE MOCKS VEGETA, THE PRINCE OF ALL SAIYANS AND LIVES TO TELL IT!"  
  
Kakarot laughs and laughs and flies out of his hiding place. Vegeta flies straight at him, going in for the kill. Kakarot smirks and puts out his hand, aiming at Vegeta. Suddenly, Vegeta feels like he just flew right into a 10 meter thick titanium wall.  
  
Vegeta yelps, "What the..." and looks around for the source, but he finds none. Vegeta glares at Kakarot, "That was you, wasn't it?! You low level scum! I'll make you pay!"  
  
Kakarot yawns and says with a bored expression, "Yeah, yeah. And what else is new?"  
  
All of a sudden Vegeta grins, "Of course, it's all so simple. Why didn't I think of it before?" He looks at Kakarot with a victorious gleam in his eye and laughs in a mocking way, "You know, I could kill you just like," he snaps his fingers, "that. In fact it would be too easy."  
  
Kakarot looks at Vegeta suspiciously, "What are you talking about?"  
  
Vegeta asks, "Has you ever heard of the legend of the super saiyan?"  
  
Kakarot mutters, "Who hasn't? But get to the point."  
  
Vegeta says triumphantly, "I can go super saiyan, that's the point."  
  
Kakarot raises an eyebrow, "You, turn super saiyan?" Suddenly he bursts into fits of laughter.  
  
"What's so funny?!"  
  
"There's no way anyone can turn super saiyan! It's just a dumb legend! Even if anyone could, it's definitely not going to start with you!" Vegeta watches Kakarot, with his eye twitching and rage steadily growing with each breath Kakarot takes.  
  
Kakarot continues, "Anyway, you couldn't beat me even if you could turn super saiyan."  
  
Vegeta wonders, {Since when has Kakarot gotten so cocky?} Vegeta asks suspiciously, "What trick do you have up your sleeve?"  
  
Kakarot replies, "No trick."  
  
"Fine, pick your time, day, and place. Then we'll meet and fight to the death. And no backing out, or else face eternal shame."  
  
"Alright. Right here, next full moon, midnight."  
  
Vegeta raises an eyebrow, "Next full moon? Midnight? What are you planning on doing? Transforming into an oozaro? Hmmph, you need to have a tail to do that. And if you haven't noticed, you don't have one."  
  
Kakarot says, "I know that, Goku," causing Vegeta to wince. Kakarot continues, "And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't need a tail. However I can get one."  
  
"You haven't had a tail for years. How would you expect to do that?"  
  
Kakarot smirks, "I'll show you." 


	14. The essential ingredient

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot gets a sharp rock and cuts his right hand with a quick swipe. He smears the blood from the wound on his forehead. He places his weight onto his right foot and moves his arms in a circular counter clockwise motion. He points at the sun and shifts his weight onto both feet.  
  
Vegeta wonders, {What is he doing? Dancing?} Kakarot closes his eyes and mumbles ancient saiyan verses. While he's chanting the blood turns gold and leaks down Kakarot's face and body until it reaches his abdomen. Then it disappears as if Kakarot absorbed it.  
  
Kakarot stops chanting and gets out of position, as if nothing had happened, and cleans the wound on his hands. Vegeta laughs, "Ha! You didn't do anything! All that trouble for nothing!"  
  
Kakarot doesn't reply, but he takes a sharp rock and makes a slit in the back of his pants. A long tail springs out, where it was coiled up before.  
  
Vegeta gawks at it, "How the hell did you do that?"  
  
Kakarot smirks, looking at Vegeta straight in the eyes, "When I was little, I found these old scrolls with powerful attack and healing moves. I spent all my time studying those scrolls so that I would be able to fulfill my mission. I even brought them to Earth to study. I never told anyone about my secret...except for one boy, but he doesn't matter."  
  
Vegeta frowns at his fellow saiyan. He always thought trust to be a weak attribute.  
  
Kakarot says, "I knew that if I ever told anyone, they would try to kill me before I could complete my studies.  
  
Vegeta demands, "What of the boy? What happened to him?"  
  
Kakarot says, "I don't know. I don't remember him well. And he doesn't matter; he's the exception. Anyway, I finished my studies before I was captured and I burned the scrolls before anyone could get to them."  
  
Vegeta scowls, "Why did you bother to all the trouble of asking me for lessons, if you had this power?"  
  
"Because I needed something from you. Something very, very important to me. The blood of Saiyan Royalty."  
  
Vegeta steps back from him, "You wouldn't dare."  
  
"I would and I did. The blood is the essential ingredient to every single move in those scrolls. Long ago I had given up trying to find a way to get that blood. So I was a very smart, but a very weak saiyan. I didn't even bother trying out the moves, since they wouldn't work."  
  
But Kakarot's lips slowly curled into a cruel smirk, "Just my luck that on the very day I was freed from my prison, I would meet the very person that would help me gain all the strength I needed. Now I am the most powerful saiyan in the universe!" He ends by laughing an almighty evil laugh.  
  
Vegeta quickly looks all over himself and finds no cuts or wounds. He demands, "How did you get that blood?!"  
  
Kakarot turns his head to the direction of the cabin, "Didn't you see how pale he was? How heavy his breath? Yes, Goku," seeing that Vegeta realized what he was talking about, "he was my source of blood. Though impure, his blood held all the essentials of Saiyan Royalty. Last night, when I came to your camp, I made an incision on your freak's neck and drank all the blood I needed. Unfortunately he still has enough blood to live. The half-blood doesn't deserve to live. Since he had outlived his usefulness, I would have been happy to kill him, but to do so while he sleeps would be cowardice, even if he is a freak."  
  
Vegeta turns red with anger, "Do you expect me to thank you for that?!"  
  
Kakarot says, "I expect you to honor our deal. Knowing the circumstances will you still do it?"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "Don't you worry about that, Kakarot. I'll be there."  
  
"Well good, then I'll see you at the next full moon," Kakarot gives a mocking bow and flies away, laughing.  
  
Vegeta hurries back into the cabin and kneels by Trunks's bed. The effects of the blood draining are evident. He's a pasty white color and breathes so very, very slowly. Like a victim out of a vampire horror novel. Vegeta hisses, "Don't worry, my son. He will die." He picks up Trunks from the bed and flies in the direction of West City, home of capsule corps. 


	15. So how does this help me?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Goku wakes up to find himself surrounded by trees and an early sun. He recognizes it to be the forest near his house. He thinks, {Hey, I'm back to my regular self! Maybe...that was just all a bad dream...But if it was a dream what am I doing back on Earth? Oh well, it doesn't matter. It's good to be in my body again.}  
  
He tries to get up but can't move. {What the...No! It can't be!} He tries to talk, but he can't move his lips. He can't even adjust his pupils. He thinks, {No! This isn't right! What's wrong with me! This can't be happening!}  
  
He goes super saiyan, but he still can't move. Then he sees a small boy walking towards him. He thinks desperately, {Hey! Over here! Help me out!} But then to his horror he sees the child has a tail and the mop of unruly hair. Goku thinks, {No...it can't be.}  
  
Kakarot's Spirit smiles, "Hello Goku. Good to see you again. It looks like you're having a little trouble with your spirit form. Can't control it yet, huh? Ooh...That's too bad." Then he starts to laugh, mocking Goku.  
  
Goku thinks, {Damn you, Kakarot! Damn you!}  
  
Spirit says, "And I was having such fun too. I didn't know wiping out humanity would be so amusing."  
  
{YOU MONSTER!}  
  
Spirit holds up an open palm to aim at Goku, "It seems I don't need you anymore. You've outlived your usefulness. Say goodbye Goku."  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
Goku wakes up from his nightmare in a cold sweat. Quickly, he looks around for Spirit, but finds no one. He is alone. He sees he's still surrounded by black. Goku moans, "I'm still in the nightmare. I wonder how long I was knocked out."  
  
His environment is the same as before, except there is no pool of water. And there seems to be a large source of light coming from a sort of wall. It looks like a giant window. Goku looks out of it curiously trying to get his eyes to adjust to the light. He can't see it clearly, everything seems to be moving.  
  
Suddenly the light disappears, leaving Goku in total darkness, only to come back again, just as bright before, temporarily blinding Goku. Goku thinks about it and comes up with the answer to this puzzle.  
  
{I get it now. I must be seeing exactly everything Kakarot is seeing and that blackness came from when he blinked. I must be in a deeper part of his subconscious. But how does this help me? If anything it might even be worse for me. I don't know how to get back or get out of here.}  
  
Goku tries moving and sees he can do it easily without needing to go super saiyan, {Well at least that's one good thing. I don't need to go super saiyan twenty-four seven.}  
  
All of a sudden a booming voice comes out of nowhere, "I wonder if there are other saiyans besides Goku on this planet."  
  
Goku thinks, {Wait a minute. Is that Kakarot? It must be. Wow, I can read his thoughts!...Or he's just a psychopath that talks to himself. Anyway, I know he said something about Goku. Was he talking about me? Nah...It couldn't be. He must be talking about Vegeta.}  
  
Kakarot thinks...or says, "I'm going to have to find a base of operations, but in the meanwhile I better rest first. I've got a headache talking to that idiot, who dares to call himself a prince."  
  
Goku notices everything slowing down and sees Kakarot decided to settle in a tree to rest in. Kakarot looks around him to look for anyone unwanted guests. Goku watches intently and just happens to notice something long and furry.  
  
Goku yelps, "Hey! Wait! Look back!"  
  
But Kakarot doesn't look back, he didn't need to. He closes his eyes and everything around Goku turns dark.  
  
Goku wonders, {Was that a tail? I need to make sure, but I'm sure it was. How in the world was he able to get his...I mean, my tail back?} Goku wasn't able to answer these questions as he slowly drifts into sleep. 


	16. Kakarot, not Goku

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Over at capsule corps, Vegeta pushes open the door to his home, where an impatient Bulma is waiting for him. The blue haired woman glares down at the entering Vegeta and yells, "Where the hell have you been mister?! You should have been back here weeks ago! That is so typical of you Vegeta, running off to train, without even telling me. I even sent Trunks to look for you. Where is he any-..."  
  
And then that's when Bulma notices Vegeta is carrying the half-dead Trunks in his arms, "Oh my god! Trunks! What the hell did you do to him, Vegeta?!"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "I didn't do anything, woman. And call the others. Tell them Kakarot is back and to come here, right now!"  
  
Bulma can tell by the tone in Vegeta's voice and Trunks's condition, that something was terribly wrong, "Vegeta...What is it? Is there another villain on Earth?" Vegeta gives no answer. Bulma yells, "Dammit, Vegeta! Tell me what happened to Trunks!"  
  
Vegeta says, "Call the others."  
  
Bulma scowls, but obeys and dials up ChiChi, "Hello, ChiChi? It's Bulma. Vegeta finally came home, but he was carrying Trunks home, oh my god, he's almost dead! And what's more he said that Goku's-..."  
  
Vegeta interrupts by yelling, "KAKAROT! NOT GOKU! AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE NAME GOKU EVER AGAIN, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" 


	17. The Great Saiyaman Big woop

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Two days after Vegeta told him and the others about Kakarot, Gohan goes to work fighting crime as the Great Saiyaman. As he patrols the city, he thinks about the recent events...and his father's dramatic change, {I can't believe it! My dad...turned into some sort of evil, bloodsucking, power hungry saiyan! Did my dad forget he was Goku or...was Kakarot there the whole time, and took over his mind? Nah...that last one seems too far- fetched. Well there aren't any signs of Kakarot yet. Maybe Vegeta was making everything up for a joke. Well that's a sick joke, if that's true. }  
  
Suddenly Gohan hears some sirens and thinks, {Uh oh, trouble.} He speeds over towards it and sees a bank robbery and...{Whoa! Are those tanks?! Good thing Videl's on vacation. She might try something stupid, like taking on those tanks.} And Gohan flies down to the ground to do just that.  
  
As he flies down, he's greeted by cheers, "Oh thank God!," "It's the Great Saiyaman!," and "He's come to stop them!"  
  
The bad guys ask, "Who's the Great Saiyaman?"  
  
Gohan knows, it once again time to introduce the Great Saiyaman. He yells, "Prepare to be defeated by the defender of justice, protector of this city, ..." and etc., etc., etc. And while he's doing the introductory song, he was doing some really, I mean really lame poses. Until finally, "I am the Great Saiyaman!"  
  
After he's done there is total silence everywhere. You can hear crickets from a mile away. The spectator and the villains look at Gohan as if he's crazy. And he may be a little delusional, who knows?  
  
Two teenage girls meekly walk up to Gohan and ask, "Uh...Mr. Saiyaman?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
The blond girl says, "Look, Nora and I," she motions to her brunette friend, "think that...no offense...your whole Great Saiyaman song..."  
  
"And dance," Nora adds.  
  
"Really, really sucks."  
  
Nora says, "We also think that you're copying the Ginyu Force."  
  
This comment about his song really hits home. Gohan thinks in shock, {Two regular teenage girls think my song sucks? Do all of them think that?...Hey, wait a minute! How do they know about the Ginyu Force?!} He turns to look for the girls, but they disappeared.  
  
The bad guys see this as a perfect chance to attack the so-called Great Saiyaman. The leader yells, "All right boys! Let's get him!"  
  
Gohan looks back at the villains and sees he's surrounded by big guns. He smiles and says, "If you give up now, you can be charged with a lesser sentence. If you don't...I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt you."  
  
All the guys look at him for a second...before bursting into laughter. "Ha Ha! What a riot!" "That's the funniest thing I ever heard!" "What a joke!"  
  
Gohan waits patiently until they stop laughing and asks, "Do you really think you can beat me with those?"  
  
Up in the air, Kakarot happens to pass over the scene and sees a solitary man take on a huge group of men with large ammunition. He thinks, {That boy...He's either crazy or really strong. This may prove to be interesting. In any case I get to see blood and gore.}  
  
The crooks on the ground laugh again, but you can tell they are unnerved by Gohan's confidence.  
  
Gohan says calmly, "Don't make me hurt you."  
  
There is an awkward moment, as they stare at Gohan, trying to see if he's bluffing or not. But the leader yells, "Don't listen to him! He's only one guy! Now let's get him!" The men recover their confidence and rally together, cheering their leader. He yells, "Attack! No one messes with the Yellow Belly Gang!"  
  
The crowds take this opportunity to disperse and basically run for their lives.  
  
The men fire at Gohan, creating a storm of bullets. Gohan sticks his hand out and stops the bullets in their tracks, just like Neo in the Matrix. The bullets fall to the ground and Gohan charges at the devious wolf pack, too quick for anyone to lay a finger on him and begins beating the hooha out of the villains.  
  
Kakarot looks down in wonder, {That's amazing. He's one strong kid all right. Could it be he's...}  
  
At one point, men surround Gohan, so he grabs the leg of the nearest one and uses him to swing around and trip the rest. One guy tries to shoot a bazooka gun at him, but Gohan does a double back flip, first kicking the man's face and then kicking the gun out of the man's hands. Gohan immediately brings his fist over his shoulder, knocking out a guy who was about to shoot him.  
  
After only a little while the fight is over. The men scurry away like rats, but the police surrounding the area catch them. Not all of the villains are gone though. The leader of the Yellow Belly Gang yells, "All right men! We'll have to do it the hard way! Fire the tanks!"  
  
Gohan think, {Oh no! I forgot about those!} He yells at the police, "Get away from here!"  
  
They obey, and now it's the polices' turn to run and hide.  
  
The remaining men get in the tanks and then fire at Gohan. Gohan catches all the shots, but one stray tank behind him fires at his back, catching Gohan off guard. Gohan hears the cannon and turns around, but he's too late to dodge it. It hits him right in the stomach and throws him against the side of a building. He crashes into it, creating a giant hole in the middle of it.  
  
The leader laughs, "That'll teach him!" And the rest of the men cheer at Gohan's demise.  
  
But suddenly a voice says, "Why's everyone clapping? This party's just getting started."  
  
The Yellow Belly Gang hushes their cheers and look for the source of the voice. One gangster says, "It can't be be!"  
  
As the dust blows away, it reveals Gohan, without his bandana and his sunglasses, standing in the rubble unscathed.  
  
The men look on in horror. One man yelps, "What, what the...You should be dead!"  
  
Gohan raises an eyebrow, "Oh really?"  
  
Another man says, "He's, he's not human!"  
  
The leader yells, "Quick! Fire all the tanks! Get rid of that abomination!"  
  
The tanks fire at Gohan, but he's too quick and dodges them all. Instead they all hit the surrounding buildings and blow them into rubble.  
  
Gohan yells, "Okay! You guys are really starting to piXX me off!" He goes to each tank and twists up the barrels as if they were putty. The tanks fire and blow themselves up. However everyone single person somehow, miraculously survives and they scramble out of the rubble out of the area, screaming.  
  
Gohan holds up two fingers for victory and yells, "Go me! Never mess with a saiyan!" But his self-appraisal is interrupted by a strange sound. Almost like clapping.  
  
Gohan slowly puts his hand down and says, "What the..." turning his attention to the direction of the noise.  
  
Out of the dust, Gohan sees a figure moving closer and closer, clapping slowly the whole time. As it gets nearer Gohan sees a man, in saiyan armor, with a tail. As Gohan clearly see his figures, he finally stops clapping. Gohan pales just at the sight of him.  
  
Kakarot smirks and says, "Well done, young saiyan. You fought well against those humans, but unfortunately you weren't able to kill any."  
  
Gohan thinks, {Oh dear god, please don't let this be him.} "T-Turles?"  
  
"Wrong. My name is Kakarot."  
  
Gohan moans mentally, {It is him.}  
  
Kakarot doesn't sense Gohan's grief and continues, "How did you come to know my brother?"  
  
Gohan says, "I...uh...I met him on our home planet...when I was younger."  
  
Kakarot says, "I see..." and looks Gohan over. He asks, "What happened to your tail?"  
  
"It...it got cut off when...when I was battling Vegeta."  
  
Kakarot looks at him in surprise, "You were battling him?!...Well, that's unheard of! Fighting someone from the royal family!" Gohan waits for the Kakarot become angry with him and start to fight. However, to Gohan's complete surprise, Kakarot says, "Well, good for you. I never liked him. But don't call him Vegeta anymore."  
  
Gohan asks in confusion, "Why Da-...I mean, sir?"  
  
Kakarot smiles, "Sir...hmm...I like the sound of that. But didn't you hear about him? He's been breeding half-saiyan freaks and he even cut off his own tail. He's converted to humanhood, so now in commemoration of his conversion and his betrayal to the Saiyan Race, his new human name shall be Goku."  
  
Gohan stares at Kakarot, but then starts to laugh hysterically. Kakarot frowns, "What's so funny?"  
  
Gohan desperately tries to stop but can't. He barely manages to say, "N- nothing." He thinks, {Oh man! No wonder Vegeta was so mad! Wait a minute...Did he call Trunks a half-saiyan freak? I'm a half-saiyan freak!} Gohan stops laughing immediately.  
  
Kakarot says, "Good, you've stopped. I thought I was going to have to kill you to make you shut up."  
  
Gohan stares at Kakarot shocked. Those words came out of the mouth that belonged to his father. He gives Kakarot a hard glare, but suddenly notices something long and furry, swinging around behind Kakarot as if put into a trance by an invisible snake charmer.  
  
Gohan thinks, {A tail! Vegeta never said anything about a tail!}  
  
Kakarot demands, "What's your name, boy?"  
  
"My...my name?" Gohan snaps back into reality and he hurries to think of a good saiyan name. "My name is...My name is..."  
  
Kakarot raises an eyebrow, "Are you thinking?"  
  
Gohan says quickly, "My name's Vegeta!" But he regrets those words as soon as they come out of his mouth, {Oh jeez! Vegeta's going to kill me! I can imagine exactly what he's going to say...'Just because Kakarot calls me Goku, doesn't mean you can steal my name! You are not worthy enough to have the name of the saiyans' home world!'...But I don't need to tell him do I? I just hope that I don't meet up with him now.}  
  
Kakarot stares at Gohan for a long time. He repeats slowly, "You're...name...is...Vegeta..."  
  
"Uh, yep. My name is Vegeta. Vegeta is my name," Gohan says with a strained smile on his face. "What a coincidence, huh?"  
  
Kakarot says, "Quite a coincidence indeed...I suppose it's a good thing that Goku's name is Goku then."  
  
He looks Gohan over, "You are against humans then, are you not?"  
  
Gohan says, "I guess..."  
  
Kakarot pulls out a capsule and give it to Vegeta, "Well now you're recruited to help me in my mission to liquidate this planet. You should consider it an honor. You do consider it an honor, right?"  
  
Gohan gawks a little, but quickly resumes his part, "Yes! Yes, it's a real honor, sir!...a real honor..."  
  
Kakarot smiles, "Good of you to say that. I would've had to kill you if you disagreed. Change and we'll get started."  
  
Gohan panics, "We're not going to kill them now, are we?!"  
  
"Of course not. We need a base of operations first. I'm not like other saiyans. I don't kill people right away. I find out how to slowly torture them to the extreme, so that they'll beg me for death."  
  
Gohan says, "Oh, oh really...how, how nice."  
  
"Well hurry up and change already!"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Gohan changes out of his Great Saiyaman outfit into the saiyan armor in the capsules, thinking, {Now what am I going to do?} 


	18. Poor baby snicker

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
"BULMA! YOU NEED TO GO AND FIX THE GRAVITY ROOM!"  
  
"What?! Again?! Vegeta, this is the 6th time this week! I don't even have time to take care of Trunks!"  
  
Bulma lies by Trunks's bedside, feeding him by hand. Trunks is recovering, slowly, but surely. However he's still too weak to even move.  
  
Bulma sighs, "Oh, my poor baby. Don't be sad okay? You'll be up and about in no time." Trunks nods solemnly.  
  
Bulma turns to Vegeta, who's standing in the doorway, "Don't you see how much he needs me?"  
  
Vegeta sneers, "He doesn't need you. You've been spoiling him."  
  
"WHAT?! Why you're nothing but a..."The row lasts the rest of the night. 


	19. Mind reading

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
I made it this short to annoy you people. Just kidding.  
  
Meanwhile Goku establishes a hard fact. He can read Kakarot's mind.  
  
He hears Kakarot thinking, {I thought Vegeta was the name of nobility, but this boy doesn't seem so noble to me. And why is he always looking at my tail. Maybe it just amazes him to see one. I wonder how ling it's been since he's seen a tail...} 


	20. Joining the club

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot catches Gohan looking at his tail again, "What are you looking at?"  
  
"I...uh...nothing."  
  
Kakarot scowls, {That's his answer for the last two hundred times. I know I can trust him, I can tell he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. But it's so eerie. Why is he so devoted to me?}  
  
He spies Vegeta looking at his tail again, {This is getting to be too much.} He yells, "WHY THE HELL DO YOU KEEP ON LOOKING AT MY TAIL?!"  
  
"I...I haven't been looking at your tail."  
  
"Oh yes, you have! You've been staring at it for more times than I can count! Literally! What is your problem?!"  
  
Gohan feels it's time for some quick lying he'd probably regret later on, "Well you see, I...uh, I was jealous because you have a tail and I don't."  
  
Kakarot chuckles, "Is that all? You know," he adds slyly, "I can get you a tail, if you want."  
  
Gohan gulps and says, "Oh really? How?" He feels this is not going to have a happy ending.  
  
"I'll show you. But you have to agree that you absolutely want one."  
  
"Of course I want one! Why wouldn't I?!" Gohan practically yells with a smile that really doesn't suit his face. He thinks, {I really hate lying about something I know I'll regret later on.}  
  
Kakarot thinks, {What a strange boy.} He picks up a rock and cuts his open palm, like before. Gohan winces, but Kakarot doesn't notice.  
  
Kakarot turns to Gohan and places his bloody hand onto Gohan's forehead and smears it across. Gohan can feel himself go a shade lighter. Kakarot performs the sun dance like before and mumbles some incomprehensible words and closes his eyes.  
  
Gohan suddenly notices the blood trickling down into his suit, and sees it has taken on a bright glow. Chills creep up Gohan's spine as the blood flows down his chest. As the blood reaches his stomach, it vanishes. Gohan says, "Huh?"  
  
Suddenly a great pain makes Gohan keel over, clutching at his stomach. Gohan can taste blood in his mouth and tries to spit it out, but there is none. The pain decreases into soreness and Gohan slowly gets up from the ground.  
  
Kakarot is not impressed, "You didn't take the pain well."  
  
Gohan mutters, resentfully, "It was unexpected."  
  
"Well learn to expect pain."  
  
Gohan asks, "Do I really have a tail?" afraid to look.  
  
Kakarot asks, "What? Can't you feel it?"  
  
Gohan nods, "I can."  
  
"Then why are you asking?"  
  
"I...Oh, nevermind," Gohan says. He slowly looks behind him and sure enough, a long furry tail. He flicks it around testing it.  
  
Kakarot frowns, "You don't seem happy."  
  
Gohan says, "Oh yeah! I'm happy! I'm jumping for joy..."  
  
Kakarot cocks his head slightly, concerned, {What's the matter with him? Maybe the pain was too much for him. He should rest a little whi-...Hey! Why am I getting sentimental about him?! I've only known him for two weeks! Come on, Kakarot, snap out of it!}  
  
Kakarot mutters, "At least you've stopped looking at my tail. Now be careful with that. If anyone grabs it, then that's the end of you. It's safer to wrap it around your waist."  
  
Gohan notices Kakarot keeps his tail free and asks with suspicion, "Why are you telling me this?"  
  
Kakarot blushes slightly and says, "Well I...I don't want my soldiers to take any risks-I mean, have any weaknesses."  
  
Gohan smiles, a real one this time, "Well thanks, but I'll risk it like you."  
  
Kakarot says, "Now don't get any ideas. I just said that with no meaning whatsoever. I mean I didn't say that because I like you...wait, I like you, but I don't like you. I mean...ugh, nevermind. Forget I even said it." Kakarot is blushing really hard now and he turns away.  
  
He thinks, {Now you blew it, Kakarot. He'll never look up to you again. He'll only think of you as a sentimental fool.}  
  
Meanwhile Gohan thinks, {I think there's still a lot of my dad in him. But I still want Dad back. How am I going to do that?} He looks at his tail, {And what am I going to with this? How am I going to tell Videl I have a tail now?} 


	21. The 'L' wordblech

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N- Sorry. This is another short one.  
  
  
  
In Kakarot's mind, Goku is watching his window to the world. He says to himself, "Well it looks like my heart remembers more than Kakarot does. I guess that Kakarot didn't like his brothers that much or else I would have... Wait a minute, I gave Raditz a second chance to live...or is that just my nature?"  
  
Goku goes into deep thought trying to figure out the truth...but then just gets a headache. "Uhh...I can't think..."  
  
He hears Kakarot think, {Snap out of it, Kakarot! Snap out of it!}  
  
Goku sighs, "Poor Kakarot. You love my son, but you don't even know why." 


	22. It's not good to swear Veggie

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
At Capsule Corps... "BULMA! FIX THE FUCXING GRAVITY ROOM!"  
  
Bulma stops reading her book and yells, "Again?! Why are you training so hard anyway?!" Vegeta walks outside her room and leans on the doorway, not answering her. Bulma eyes him suspiciously, "What are you planning on doing? Fighting Kakarot?" Vegeta doesn't respond, but grimaces when he hears Kakarot's name.  
  
Bulma glares at him, "You are, aren't you? Look here buster! Don't you go and fight him! I know what you're planning on doing. You're going to kill him, aren't you?! Well I'm not going to allow it! What am I going to tell ChiChi?! 'Oh I'm sorry ChiChi, but my husband killed your husband.' No way! ChiChi's worried enough about Gohan already, what with him missing for two weeks. She doesn't need to hear her husband's dead!"  
  
Vegeta stays silent, while Bulma continues to yell at him. He thinks, {There's no need to tell her I will most likely die with that bastard. At least I'll die with honor.}  
  
Meanwhile Trunks is in the other room, listening to their one-sided conversation. He's out of bed now, but still too weak to fight. He had grown a deep hatred for Kakarot, however this news alarms him. He thinks, {I gotta tell Goten.} He quietly sneaks out of the house, while Bulma is still yelling at Vegeta and flies off in the direction of Goten's house. 


	23. The web of lies

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
By now Kakarot and Vegeta had found a cave in the mountains. Kakarot proudly declared it to be their base of operations. He comes in every night with hi-tech equipment that Gohan doesn't know how he got. But Gohan really doesn't want to know. Gohan's job everyday is to hunt for food and guard their base.  
  
One day, while Kakarot is gone again, and Gohan is guarding the base, he tries to think of a way to get his father back to normal. Sketching little plans onto the sand of the cave, he thinks, {What if I just push him off a cliff? No, he knows how to fly,} he crosses out that plan. He draws a new one with two figures and one of them carries a boulder. {What if I throw a boulder at him. That won't work. He'd blast it before it hit him,} he crosses out that one too. {How about if I got him when he's slee-}  
  
His thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a loud, "Hey! Gohan! We were looking all over for you!" Gohan looks outside and to his surprise he sees Trunks and Goten flying outside of the cave. Trunks stops immediately when he sees Gohan, but Goten charges wildly at Gohan, overloading him with hugs and 'I missed you's. Trunks slowly flies up to Gohan, staring at him. Or more specifically his tail.  
  
Gohan asks, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Goten answers, "Well you were missing for two weeks, Gohan. And Trunks heard that Mr. Vegeta is gonna hurt Kakarot, whose really Dad, only a little confused. So we came here to get you, so that you can stop Mr. Vegeta."  
  
Gohan says, "Look, you two have to get out of here! He could be coming back any second! Trunks, he'll recognize you! And Goten...well, let's just say you look like him, only smaller."  
  
But Goten suddenly feels someone's ki coming closer to the base. Gohan hisses, "Too late! Quick, hide behind those rocks. Suppress your energy, and Goten, don't say anything!"  
  
Goten and Trunks nod and quickly obey, and narrowly miss being seen by Kakarot, just as he flies into the cave. This time Kakarot is carrying a hologram projector.  
  
Gohan says, "Hello sir. You're back early."  
  
Kakarot scowls, "What are you talking about? I come back whenever I want."  
  
Trunks grows a deathly pale as he sees the figure of his nightmares...Kakarot. He remembers unfocused images of the night Kakarot came to their cabin. He remembers the ice-cold blade, piercing his neck. He remembers how Kakarot was licking his lips and relishing the sight of what seemed to be Trunks's death. Every night after that, he'd have nightmares of Kakarot watching him bleed to death, with that greedy look in his eyes. Trunks shivers in spite of himself.  
  
Meanwhile Goten just noticed that both Gohan and Kakarot have tails. He pokes Trunks and points to their tails. Trunks throws a 'duh' look at him, but continues to shiver.  
  
Kakarot sets up the hologram projector and turns it on, showing a 3D image of Earth. Kakarot pokes the place where they are now and it shows up as a little red dot. He demands, "Where's the food you got?"  
  
Gohan points to the fridge, that Kakarot also got, and says, "It's in there."  
  
Kakarot opens it up and takes out a ham leg. He asks, "Could you roast this for me?"  
  
Gohan's mind suddenly flashes back to the time when he and his father were in hyperbolic time chambre together, training to fight Cell.  
  
**********  
  
"Gohan, time to eat." Goku walks up to Gohan and asks, "Could you roast this for me?"  
  
Gohan says, "Sure Dad."  
  
**********  
  
He remembers how he blasted the food, but when his dad caught it, it disintegrated in his hands and his hair caught on fire. Gohan chuckles lightly at the memory.  
  
"Helloo. Vegeta. I asked you a question. Could you roast this or not?"  
  
Gohan snaps back into reality, "Huh? Oh, sure Dad." Kakarot stares at Gohan and drops the meat onto the ground. Gohan suddenly realizes, {Oh no! I called him Dad!}  
  
Kakarot asks, stunned, "What did you just call me?"  
  
Gohan knows there is no way to lie out of this. "I called you Dad," he says meekly.  
  
"And why did you call me that?"  
  
Gohan gulps, "Um...Because you look just like my father."  
  
"And who might that be?"  
  
"Well, um...it's...it's Turles."  
  
Kakarot yelps, "Turles is your father?!"  
  
Gohan replies, "Uh...yeah."  
  
Kakarot is so overcome with shock he has to sit down, "I thought you told me you met him once on our home planet."  
  
"Well yeah. He discarded me because when I was little I got into a fight with Veg- I mean Goku and I got my tail cut off. I spent most of my childhood looking for him, but when I found him, he still rejected me."  
  
Kakarot eyes Gohan strangely, "Then what did you do?"  
  
"I got a spacepod and flew to Earth to live out the rest of my life." Gohan knows it's a long shot, but he's desperate here.  
  
Kakarot sighs, "I wouldn't know what Turles is like. I never actually met him. Space pirates kidnapped him before I was born. He sort of sounds like a perfectionist. But why did you get into a fight with Goku?"  
  
Gohan answers, "Because my name's Vegeta and he didn't think I was worthy enough for it."  
  
Kakarot says, "Ha! That is so typical. Well it was brave of you to fight a much more experienced saiyan. Especially a prince. You were lucky you weren't killed."  
  
Kakarot looks Gohan over and thinks, {No wonder I'm so fond of this boy. I can see it now. He has a little but of my father in him. That also explains why he's fond of me. I do look a lot like Turles. Although I may be a more handsome version. Hmmm...What if I adopt this boy? I think we get along well enough. But what if he wants to go back to my brother?}  
  
He asks, "Why don't you go back to Turles now that you have a tail.?"  
  
Gohan gulps, "Well, you see, he's...uh....he's, he's dead."  
  
"WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!"  
  
Gohan answers, "Well, someone called Goku killed them," totally forgetting Kakarot is calling Vegeta Goku now.  
  
Kakarot frowns, "Why didn't Raditz help him?"  
  
"Uh...he got killed too."  
  
"By the same person?"  
  
"Yes, the same one," Gohan says, unknowingly sealing Vegeta's fate.  
  
Kakarot thinks, {Well, that solves the problem about adopting. But Goku... He killed both of my brothers...He's going to have to pay. Killing him is too good for him. I'll merely torture him for eternity. And I know just the move to do it.}  
  
He picks up the ham leg from the ground, wipes it off and begins to eat it, raw. Gohan makes a disgusted face, "You do know that's raw right?"  
  
Kakarot scowls, "Of course I know it's raw! What am I stupid?!" But he actually thinks, {Damn, now I have to eat or else I'll look like an idiot. Yuck, this is disgusting.} As he nibbled his food, Gohan cooked his own. Gohan remembers about Trunks and Goten and brings his food over for them while Kakarot isn't looking.  
  
That night, after Kakarot went to sleep, Gohan got Trunks and Goten out of their hiding place to give them instructions. "Look, Mom and Bulma are going to be worried about you two. You better head back now. Goten, I need you to tell Mom and Videl I'm okay and that I'm working on a plan to get Dad back to normal. Trunks, can you find out more about this fight for me?"  
  
Trunks nods, "Yeah, I can do that. It's not going to be easy. Not with my dad anyway."  
  
Gohan says, "Alright, now hurry home. And one more thing. Tell everyone not to freak out if I come home with a tail, okay?" Trunks and Goten nod enthusiastically.  
  
Gohan waves them off, "Alright, now go. Don't forget what you have to do." 


	24. Am I going nuts?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
That night Goku waits for Kakarot to wake up, unable to sleep. Everything is dark and he's all alone, powerless to do anything to stop Kakarot.  
  
He curses his luck and starts blaming himself for his misfortune. He thinks, {Now look at what you've gotten yourself into! I should've been more careful! I should've taken the training more seriously. Then that fucxing block wouldn't have hit me. Grrrgh. Well it's too late for that now. What to do? What to do?!}  
  
His stomach suddenly growls. {Goku, this is no time to think of food.} It growls again, {But I'm so hungry!} He yells up into the endless blackness, "Wake up you! Wake up! WAKE UP!"  
  
So far away and yet so near...Kakarot is roused out of his slumber by some strange noise, "Huh? What was that?" Stomach growls, "Must've been my hunger. Oh well, time to get some food. That raw meat wasn't very appetizing," remembering the little incident with the food earlier.  
  
In Kakarot's mind, Goku says in amazement, "Wow, he actually heard me... HEY! KAKAROT! IT'S ME, GOKU!" But Kakarot doesn't seem to hear him.  
  
Goku sits down, deep in thought, {Maybe I can only do it when he's asleep or maybe the outburst has to be emotionally strong enough to pierce into his mind. But I'm already in his mind aren't I?} Goku thinks hard about it, but again only results in him getting a headache. {Grrrgh! This makes no sense! Maybe I'm just over analyzing the situation, whatever Gohan said that means.}  
  
Goku sighs and says aloud, "How am I suppose to communicate with Kakarot?" All of a sudden, something really heavy lands on top of his head, "OW!"  
  
This time Kakarot does hear him. He quickly spins around and looks to the opening of the cave, "Who's there?! I heard you! Come out, come out wherever you are." There is total silence. So much silence Kakarot feels like it's choking him.  
  
Kakarot shakes it off and mutters, "Must have been an animal or something." But when he gets back to bed he already decides he's going to stay up the whole night.  
  
Back in Kakarot's mind, Goku looks up at the black void, wondering, {What the heck fell on my head?} He looks around him and sees a very thin book. Frowning, he reads the title and jumps back in total shock. {What the hell is going on around here?! Am I going crazy?!}  
  
The book title read, 'How to Communicate with Someone when Trapped in his/her Mind' 


	25. so it's true

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
One week before the full moon, Kakarot shakes Gohan awake and says, "Hey kid, wake up."  
  
Gohan moans, "It's three in the morning, I wanna sleep."  
  
Kakarot scowls, and suddenly belts out, "GET OUT OF BED NOW, YOU LAZY BUM!"  
  
Gohan screams and falls out of bed, and stands up attentively and yelps, "Yes sir!"  
  
Kakarot smirks, "Much better. I have a surprise for you."  
  
Gohan yawns, "Wonderful, what is it?"  
  
Kakarot pulls him to the back of the cave and turns on a light switch, to reveal a metal chambre that Gohan knows definitely wasn't there the day before. Gohan stares at it in amazement, "What the heck is that?"  
  
Kakarot says proudly, "It's a gravity chambre. My own invention."  
  
Gohan stutters, "B-b-but..."  
  
Kakarot pulls him into it, "Here I'll show you how it works." He demonstrates the way it works, and Gohan notices it's a lot more efficient than Bulma's gravity room. But then that means...Kakarot's really smart...  
  
Kakarot asks, "What do you think?"  
  
Gohan studies him curiously. Kakarot looks at his invention with such excitement and pride, he seems like a boy with a brand new bicycle, eager to get Gohan's approval. Gohan says, "It's really cool sir."  
  
Kakarot chirps, "I'm glad you think so. If you didn't, I'm afraid I would have had to kill you."  
  
Gohan gulps, "Th-that's nice to know sir."  
  
Kakarot says, "Get some sleep. I'm not building the base anymore until the day after the full moon. From now on we're going to spend our whole time training."  
  
Gohan asks, "Do I have a choice?"  
  
Kakarot says simply, "Yeah, do it or die."  
  
The same day at six in the morning, Gohan and Kakarot start their training. Gohan had gotten better with training more often since Majin Buu, but he can barely keep up with him.  
  
Gohan thinks, {I don't understand. My dad was never this fast or this strong. Is Kakarot mentally stronger or was my dad holding back the whole time? Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm so intimidated by him that it's affecting my fighting capabilities. I have to try harder.}  
  
But try as he might, Kakarot's semi-evil glances and smirks always throw Gohan off. Gohan thinks, {I don't get it. It's harder to train with Kakarot than it was to fight Cell. What is it about him that's so different? Obviously, Gohan, he's your father with a whole different mind. I'd be crazy not to be intimidated.}  
  
As they fight on and on, Kakarot always has the upper hand. Gohan thinks, {He's so much more aggressive and ruthless that Dad. I don't think he'd hesitate to punch me in my gut. Better keep your guard up, Gohan.}  
  
They practice more, but Gohan keeps getting hit and he can't even lay a finger on Kakarot. Over time, Kakarot gives Gohan a black eye, several wounds, and many more punches, which send him flying against the wall. After a deafening blow, Kakarot throws Gohan onto the floor, so full of himself. Gohan shakes with pain and looks up from the ground, seeing Kakarot smirk at his pain. What was he doing?  
  
Gohan clenches his teeth and fists, {I have to go Super Saiyan. He'll kill me if I don't. I know it.} Gohan gets up off of the ground and powers up. At this point, Kakarot quits practicing and just stares at Gohan. With a bright flash, Gohan turns Super Saiyan.  
  
Kakarot's eyes widen into the size of saucepans and steps backwards away from Gohan as if he has some sort of contagious disease. Gohan thinks, {Jeez! You idiot! I totally forgot! Dad goes Super Saiyan, not Kakarot! You got yourself in a fine mess now, Gohan. I wonder what he's going to do.}  
  
Kakarot continues to stare at Gohan. Then he slowly asks, "How did you come by the legacy of all Saiyan Warriors?"  
  
Gohan says hopefully, "I...uh...trained a lot?" But he thinks, {Bad answer! Bad answer!}  
  
Kakarot replies, "But you're only a mere boy."  
  
Gohan's face grows hot, {Me? Only a boy? I'm not a boy, I'm an independent teenager! What if he finds out Trunks and Goten can go Super Saiyan?}  
  
Kakarot demands again, "How did you attain the power to become Super Saiyan?"  
  
Gohan hesitates, "I...uh...I...I don't know." {Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!}  
  
Kakarot slowly repeats him, "You...don't...know..." Gohan solemnly nods his head. Kakarot eyes him suspiciously. This is the first time he ever doubts Gohan's words. {He's obviously lying to me. But why? He's hiding something from me. What? I've taken him in and taken care of him as if he was my own son,} he acts as if he never beat Gohan up, {Why would he lie to me? Until I find out, I'll play along in his little game of Truth or Dare.}  
  
Kakarot waves Gohan over, "Come here and practice with me. I want to see the full extent of your powers." 


	26. gee, thanks dad

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: This is another short one.  
  
Trunks is in the gravity room with his father, trying to get information out of Vegeta, but it's not working...at all. "Who're you fighting?"  
  
"Shut up boy. You're getting on my nerves."  
  
"When are you going to fight?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?"  
  
Trunks exclaims, "But you could get killed!"  
  
"So?" At this point Trunks starts to snivel and pout. Vegeta scowls, "Don't be such a crybaby. It's insulting." But Trunks continues his behavior.  
  
vegeta, who gets slightly annoyed and maybe slightly sympathetic for Trunks, says, "If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you if I die, it will be with honor."  
  
Trunks looks up at Vegeta with tears streaming down his face, "Sorry Dad, but that does not make me feel any better." 


	27. Stinkin' book

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Goku finishes the book on how to communicate with Kakarot. It turns out that the best way is through Kakarot's dreams and emotional outburst were better if you wanted to stop the person to do something, you don't want them to do.  
  
It didn't take Goku long to trust the book being the gullible...ahem...trusting person that he is. I mean, what's the worst that can happen to him? Apparently the worst that happened was learning something that he wouldn't need to know once he gets his body back. But the creepy thing is he could actually get the instructions. The book is so clear cut it seems almost designed for him.  
  
However once he's done the questions before get answered, but new ones arise in his mind, {Where did that book come from? Can I get more? And why the heck did it land on my head?!} He decides to try to get a different book.  
  
He positions himself far away from where the book landed and thinks, {Now how did I do that again? Oh yeah!} He yells up at the ceiling, "How do I get my body back?!" Suddenly he sees a rectangular object flying straight at his forehead.  
  
{OW!} Kakarot hears him again. He asks Vegeta, "Did you hear that?"  
  
Gohan replies, "Hear what?"  
  
Kakarot shakes his head, "Nevermind. It's nothing," and goes back to training.  
  
Meanwhile... Goku rubs his sore face, {Stupid, freaking book! Why me?!} He searches for the book and finds an old, thick, maroon covered book and picks it up noticing how heavy it is. He thinks, {Wow, it must be packed with info. I hope it isn't too complicated.}  
  
He reads the title, 'How to Take Back your Body when Trapped in Someone Else's Mind' and says excitedly, "Alright! Perfect!"  
  
He opens up the book and sees only one small paragraph beginning with the two words, 'You can't.' Goku yelps, "WHAT?!"  
  
Kakarot starts to look around him in panic.  
  
But Goku reads on, 'The only time you can take back your body is when the host becomes hurt in the head so much that they come back in Spirit Form. At which point you just walk into their body and the body will automatically become transferred to you. After that you just walk 50 steps and then you come back to consciousness, not remembering a thing that you learned in Spirit Form. WARNING: IT IS VERY RARE THAT THE HOST WILL BE HIT IN THE HEAD HARD ENOUGH TO PUSH THEIR SPIRIT FORM BACK THIS FAR IN THEIR MIND.'  
  
Goku looks at the rest of the book to find the pages are blank. Goku swears and says, "STUPID STINKIN' BOOK!" He throws the book as far as he can.  
  
He can hear Kakarot's panicked thoughts, {I am not hearing voices! I am not going crazy!} But Goku doesn't care.  
  
And then something hits him in the back of the head. It's the same book he just threw in the opposite direction. 


	28. The clone

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Last night Gohan could tell Kakarot was very jittery and restless. Unfortunately this morning he's back to his usual arrogant, obnoxious, Vegeta-like self. This leaves Gohan wondering why Kakarot was so nervous last night.  
  
But before he can think of a valid reason he hears Kakarot yell, "THAT GOD DAMN GOHAN! HE CLONED ME!"  
  
Gohan thinks, {But I'm Gohan! Wait a minute...no, I'm not. Yes, I am. Oh forget it.} He hurries over to the source of Kakarot's voice. To his utter horror he sees Kakarot at the mouth of the cave, holding Goten by the ear.  
  
Kakarot calls to Gohan and demands, "Do you know anything about this," glaring at as if he's some disgusting slug.  
  
It's time for Gohan to make a hard decision, "...No, I don't. I've never seen him before."  
  
Kakarot mutters, "I thought as much."  
  
But Goten objects, "You know me! I'm your little brother!"  
  
Gohan says flatly, "That's a lie. I'm an only child."  
  
Goten cries, "Gohan!" And then he tries running for Vegeta, but Kakarot is still firmly holding onto him.  
  
Kakarot kneels and looks Goten in the eye, "Don't you ever say that name again!"  
  
Goten starts crying and says, "You're hurting me! I want Gohan! I want my daddy!"  
  
Kakarot yells, "I told you not to say that name!" He is just about to hit Goten, but he stops a split second before his hand hits Goten's face. Falling to his knees and clutching at his head, he yells, "NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!" 


	29. Hypnotismnever trust it

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
One dark night at Capsule Corps, Trunks creeps into Vegeta's bedroom where his father is sleeping. In his hand he hold a chain with a gold coin on the end of it. Trunks makes sure his father is asleep and quietly crawls next to his bed. Trunks starts to swing the coin in front of Vegeta's face and says, in a hushed tone, "Dad...Wake up..." Vegeta's eyes open into little slits.  
  
Trunks says, "Watch the coin...Watch it go back and forth...back and forth..." Vegeta's eyes follow the coin. Trunks says, "You are under my power..."  
  
Vegeta repeats, "I am under your power..."  
  
Trunks face breaks into a demonic grin, it isn't everyday he gets his father to say something like that. "You will do exactly as I tell you..."  
  
"I will do exactly as you tell me..."  
  
Trunks continues, "Good. At the sound of metal clanging together, you will tell me about Goku. When you hear fingers snap you will remember nothing I tell you and come out of your trance." Trunks bangs two pots together and asks Vegeta, "Now tell me about Goku."  
  
Vegeta mumbles, "Goku...Goku...Kakarot called me Goku...Goku...My name is Goku...I am Goku..."  
  
Trunks eyes widen to the size of saucepans and he starts to panic, "No! You're not Goku! You're my dad! I want you to tell me about Goku! Not become Goku!" But it's too late.  
  
Vegeta's constant scowl softens and a hint of a smile comes to his lips. Goku says, "No, I am Goku, not Vegeta..."  
  
Trunks snaps his fingers and shakes Vegeta awake, "Dad! Wake up! Wake up!"  
  
Vegeta frowns and closes his eyes, when he opens them up again his scowl is back. And he's not happy. "Trunks? What are you doing in here?! Why the hell did you wake me up?!"  
  
Trunks thinks, {Damn! I didn't think this far in my plan.} He answers sheepishly, "There's a monster in my room." {This always works for Goten.}  
  
Vegeta narrows his eyes, suspiciously. He picks up Trunks by the scruff of the neck and carries him outside of the door to drop him onto the floor. Vegeta growls, "If there's a monster in your room, kill it. And don't bother me again!" He slams the door, causing Trunks to cringe at the sound.  
  
Trunks gets up and rubs his sore bottom, {Some father. He deserves to be turned into Goku. Maybe he won't figure out it's me. Why didn't I practice on Goten first? I hope he doesn't hear any metal banging until I get to question him.} But a sinking feeling in his gut tells him otherwise. 


	30. Chibi Kakawhat?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
At Kakarot's base, Goten is put into a small cage in a corner of the cave. Kakarot still hasn't fully recovered from his temporary mania, and a new black eye on his adopted son shows he's taking it out on Gohan. However Kakarot pulls himself together enough for his upcoming fight. And Gohan is still trying to figure out a way to get his dad back to normal and a way to get Goten to forgive him.  
  
At breakfast the aroma of cooking fills the cave. Goten is still sniveling, but is sulking in his cage. Gohan prepares the food and is about to bring some to Goten when... "Don't let him have any food, Vegeta."  
  
Gohan objects, "But sir, he's only a little kid!"  
  
Kakarot ponders over it and says, "Fine, let him eat. But only give him a little." Gohan shrugs and throws away a banana and offers it to Goten. But Goten slaps it out of his hands and it falls to the floor.  
  
Goten pouts, "I don't want your stinkin' food." And he turns away from Gohan.  
  
Gohan sighs, "Alright. I'll just leave it here if you're hungry." He thinks, {Poor kid. I bet he feels awful. I basically betrayed him when he needed me most.}  
  
Kakarot seems struck by Goten's pride and starts to develop a liking for his clone. He thinks, {What's wrong with liking my clone? Maybe I can raise him into my own image. Yes, I could live on through him. Hmmm... I need to get to know him better.}  
  
Kakarot walks up to Goten's cage and says, "Hello, I'm Kakarot. What's your name?" Gohan stares at in surprise.  
  
Goten sulks and turns away, "Why do 'you' want to know?"  
  
Kakarot tenses, but he controls his anger, "Look, I just want to be your friend. Here, if I let you out of this cage, will you be my friend?" Goten turns around and nods. "Alright then," Kakarot opens the cage; "you can come out now." Goten steps out warily.  
  
Kakarot says, "Sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
Gohan scowls, {That's a stinkin' lie.}  
  
But Goten smiles innocently and chirps, "That's okay. It didn't hurt that much."  
  
Kakarot smiles, not a Goku smile, but a half smirk that didn't belong on his face. He asks, "Now what's your name?"  
  
Goten is a little unnerved by Kakarot's smile, but answers, "My name's Goten."  
  
"Goten, eh? That's the stupidest name I ever heard of. It's not worthy enough for MY clone. How about I give you a new name?"  
  
Goten protests, "But I like my-"  
  
Kakarot cuts him off, "I know! It shall be Chibi Kakarot Jr. Isn't that a better name than before?"  
  
Gohan slaps his forehead, {What an ego! He's even worse than Vegeta!}  
  
Goten mumbles, "I guess it's okay. Nobody ever called me anything else besides Goten."  
  
Gohan frowns, "Don't you think that's a mouthful for him? It is a long name."  
  
Kakarot smirks, "You're just jealous because you've only been named after the Saiyan home world, while this little one," he pats Goten's head, "is named after the strongest warrior in the universe."  
  
Gohan thinks, {Yeah, the strongest warrior in the universe who can't even go super saiyan. Can you believe this guy?}  
  
Chibi Kakarot Jr. says, "My name is kinda long. Can't you shorten it a bit?"  
  
Kakarot growls and yells, "No! Your name is Chibi Kakarot Jr. and that's final!" He stomps off to the gravity room to train.  
  
Chibi Kakarot Jr. asks, "What's the matter with him?" Gohan just shrugs. 


	31. The REAL Goku

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
In Kakarot's mind, Goku is reviewing how to communicate with Kakarot through dreams before Kakarot actually goes to sleep. He's planning to confront Kakarot himself to try and get his body back. All of a sudden the light is gone and Goku knows that it is time.  
  
He too closes his eyes, but he focuses all his thoughts onto Kakarot. He feels a pull at his gut and the world around him shatters, turning into a different planet. It's a desert like climate with a blood red atmosphere.  
  
Goku thinks, {Whoa. Where am I? Is this the saiyan home planet? So I was born here...} He kicks a stone, looking around his environment and feeling the pull of the gravity, {It doesn't seem like much.}  
  
He suddenly feels a strong vibration. He turns and spots...{Is that Kakarot?!} Goku sees a giant-sized saiyan that looks exactly like him, but with a long tail...and a scar on his cheek. {No, it can't be.} Then the giant turns over to someone that Goku didn't notice before and picks him up. Someone that also looks exactly like him, but no scar like the giant. Goku thinks, {Now that must be Kakarot. Jeez, there's a lot of people who look like me. But who's the big saiyan?}  
  
The giant saiyan then begins to cradle Kakarot in him arms in a fluid movement, not awkward like Goku expected it would be. Like the giant had a lot of experience with it. Goku realizes, {Wait a second! That must be his father! Which means...he's my father too...}  
  
Goku watches the happy scene of father and son, and suddenly feels a strong urge to go up to his father and introduce himself. But then he knows that's not really his father, just a mere image of him. Instead he gets a feeling of regret, {I don't even remember my father. I sorta wish I did. I want to know what he was like. The first person I ever even remember was Grandpa Gohan. And when we were living up in the mountains. Those were the good old days.}  
  
Suddenly the rock that Goku was leaning on disappears and catches him by surprise, making him fall flat on his face. A pain teardrop wells up in his eye as he whines, "Owee!" He looks around him and to his complete surprise he sees the mountains that he grew up in with his adoptive grandfather. {Whoa, weird! I just changed the setting with my mind!} He looks around and wonders {Where's Kakarot?}  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" Suddenly Kakarot falls from the sky and lands on his face right on the ground next to Goku. A pain teardrop wells up in Kakarot's eye and he whines, "Owee! Where did my daddy go?"  
  
Goku asks, "Um, couldn't you fly? Or did you just forget?" Kakarot looks up at Goku and his eyes nearly bulge out as he sees his exact duplicate staring right at him. Goku smiles, "Hi, I'm Goku. I'm guessing you're Kakarot." Kakarot also notices his duplicate doesn't have a tail and his face looks with this incredibly stupid grin on his face.  
  
Kakarot says, "Jeez, I think my mind should be able to make up a better version of me."  
  
Goku sweatdrops, "What?"  
  
Kakarot frowns, "Don't you know? Oh, of course you wouldn't. You're just part of my dream."  
  
A rather large stress mark appears on Goku's forehead, "I'm not part of your dream."  
  
"Yes, you are. What else would you be? A clone?"  
  
Goku frowns, "If I were your clone, I'd kill myself."  
  
Kakarot yells, "You insolent freak! I made you! You should be grateful!"  
  
"You didn't make me! I'm just a different mind sharing my body with you! And I want it back! You've had your turn, and you've done enough harm as it is!"  
  
Kakarot yells, "You're nothing! You don't even exist! Now if you don't mind, I'm going to wake up and wipe out every trace of you." He slaps himself in the face, but nothing happens. He stares at his hand in horror, "Wha-what's the matter with me?! Why can't I wake up?!"  
  
Goku smirks, "Because I'm in control now. And you won't be able to wake up until I want you to. You're wrong about me, Kakarot. I'm not just a figure of your imagination. Those are mere images, but I'm a real person, who was leading a happy life until you came along and stole my body!"  
  
Kakarot growls, "I have no idea what you're talking about! This is my body! Mine! Now let me wake up so I can fulfill my mission!"  
  
"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I DON'T WANT YOU TO WAKE UP! You see, my friends and I just happen to be the protectors of Earth and we've had more battles with world-destroying bimbos than you can comprehend. AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU KILL EVERYONE WITH MY BODY!"  
  
Goku turns away and sulks, "And I'll keep you here until you change your mind. That might even be hundreds of lifetimes. But I can wait, I'm patient."  
  
Kakarot replies, "My two disciples will wake me up. And you can't do anything about it, even if you are real."  
  
Goku gets really ticked off and he walks up to Kakarot's face. He looks his evil duplicate in the eye and then punches Kakarot in the face. {Man! That felt good!} Goku asks, "Is that real enough for you?"  
  
Kakarot holds his hands over his nose, which is practically pouring blood. Goku thinks, {Yikes! I didn't mean to hit him that hard!} Goku asks, "Are you okay?"  
  
Kakarot yells, "What do you think?! You hit me, you retard!" And then he hits Goku back, jumping on top of him and starts 'trying' to pound Goku. "I'll make you wake me up!"  
  
Goku only feels quick movements of pressure accompanied by thumping noises, {I have a feeling this is suppose to hurt, but it's not. All right! I can get used to this body!} Then he notices the blood gushing from Kakarot's nose is getting all over him. "Yuck! Get off me!"  
  
He gives Kakarot a slight push, and Kakarot flies up into the air, falling down about twenty feet away. Goku gets up and whines, "Man, now I got blood all over my gi."  
  
Kakarot groans and sits up, staring at Goku, {What strength! And what an idiot. How is it possible?!} Kakarot demands, "What do you want from me?"  
  
Goku says, "Wait a sec. I made a list."  
  
Kakarot gawks at him, "You what?!"  
  
Goku takes out a piece of paper from his pocket and begins to list his demands, "First I want you to stop your mission to destroy all humans. Second, don't fight the other 'Goku' and get both of us killed. Third, quit calling Goten, Chibi Kakarot Jr., that's just...weird. And fourth I want you to tell 'Vegeta' to hit you as hard as he can."  
  
Kakarot sweatdrops, "What kind of demands are those?" Then he adds, suspiciously, "And how do I know you're not just another human?"  
  
Goku says, "Well first I look just like you. Second I can do this." He powers up and turns super saiyan.  
  
Kakarot shrieks and jumps back far away. He stares at Goku with saucepan sized eyes, "H-h-how d-did y-you..."  
  
Goku smiles, "Turn super saiyan? Piece of cake, once you get the hang of it."  
  
Kakarot thinks, {First the other 'Goku' then 'Vegeta' and now this fool. I must go super saiyan! I must have that power!} Kakarot suddenly realizes something, "Wait a sec. You said we both have the same body. If that's true, then I can go super saiyan without any training at all! Ha!"  
  
Goku says, "That ain't gonna happen."  
  
Kakarot slowly asks, "What do you mean?"  
  
Goku answers, "Well first, all saiyans can go super saiyan, but they have to go through...ahem...special training. And only a few people even know what it is. Heck, even I'm not sure what it is."  
  
Kakarot says, "Special training, huh?" To Goku's complete surprise Kakarot gets down on his knees and asks, "Could you please, please, please, tell me? I swear I will fulfill all your demands. I can change. I'll do everything you say. When I'm done, I'll just go quietly back to my home planet and tell my father I failed my mission."  
  
But instead Kakarot really thinks, {Once this fool does teach me, I'll destroy him with my new powers and use them to take over the universe! Muah- ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!}  
  
Now had our gullible Goku not have his ability to read Kakarot's mind, he might have done something that stupid. But instead he just yells, "Not on your life! Get up, I don't like to see myself begging. Besides even if I told you how to become super saiyan, you'll never be able to use it. I'm the only one, and I'll only use it if you're fighting against someone who wants to destroy Earth."  
  
Kakarot gets up and growls, "Damn you! Who are you anyway?! How come I never heard of you before?!"  
  
Goku smiles, "Of course you've heard of me before."  
  
Kakarot frowns, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Didn't you ever wonder why everyone kept on calling you Goku? They all thought that you were me. the other 'Goku' thought you were me too, but he always called me Kakarot anyway. In fact I thought I was Kakarot too... Anyway I was in control of MY body when YOU thought that you were in a sleeping chamber. I even had two children when you were dormant."  
  
Kakarot stares at Goku, "You had children?! Who are these children?! And who did you breed them with?!"  
  
Goku says, "W-well...um...the-they're...um...both girls! Um...on planet Nameck! My um...mate is dead."  
  
Kakarot growls, "You're avoiding my questions. What are their names?"  
  
Goku turns away and thinks, {Damn! I don't know any female saiyan names!}  
  
Kakarot asks expectantly, "Well?"  
  
Goku yells, "Why do you want to know anyway?!"  
  
Kakarot crosses his arms and says defiantly, "Well it might be nice to know my own offspring." He thinks, {Maybe I can get a wife for 'Vegeta', and who better than my own flesh and blood?}  
  
Goku sweatdrops. But then he asks, "Why don't you wait to get a wife for 'Vegeta'?" But he slaps his hand over his mouth, realizing he said too much.  
  
Kakarot demands, "What?! How did you know what I was thinking?!"  
  
Goku laughs nervously and says hopefully, "Um...lucky guess?"  
  
Kakarot eyes him suspiciously. Then he asks, "How do you know about 'Vegeta'?"  
  
Goku says, "Well...um...uh...so we're...uh...we're, we're friends. Yeah, that's it! We're friends!"  
  
Kakarot asks, "Did you teach him how to go super saiyan?"  
  
"Well yeah. Who else?"  
  
Kakarot gives Goku a strange look and thinks, {No wonder 'Vegeta' won't tell me about tell me about him going super saiyan, he'd have to mention this Goku person. Wait a minute. Goku says he and 'Vegeta' are friends, and that he and his friends were the defenders of the Earth. Does that mean.... No, it can't be! I cannot be! 'Vegeta'...a traitor. He must be planning on killing me. No! That would mean killing Goku as well! ARGH! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!}  
  
Kakarot gets a pounding headache and unfortunately Goku can feel it too. Goku yelps, "Ow! Would you quit it! That hurts!"  
  
Kakarot gives Goku a strange look and asks, "You're serious about this body sharing thing, aren't you?"  
  
"Um...yeah."  
  
Kakarot looks down at his hands and stares at them, realizing they may not really be his. He asks quietly, "What have I missed when I was...indisposed?"  
  
Goku says, "Hoo-boy. That'll take a while. Maybe, it would be better if I showed you...but I don't really know how to do that. I have to get out of dream mode to see a book about that. But then that would mean you would have to wake up," he gives Kakarot a suspicious glance, "and I don't know if I should let you do that..."  
  
Kakarot says, "Goku, I swear I won't go back to my mission. Saiyan's honor."  
  
Goku, being the gullible person that he is, figures Kakarot's changed. He doesn't even bother to check Kakarot's thoughts. Smiling, Goku says, "Alrighty then. I'll let you wake up. Be good now." Goku gives out a strong vibration that distorts the scenery around them. Goku says, "You can wake up now."  
  
Kakarot hurriedly pinches himself and opens his eyes... 


	32. What's the time again?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot's eyes snap open and he is back in his bed, in his room, in his base. Kakarot smiles and then begins to chuckle, "That fool. There is no such thing as saiyan's honor. I'll just kill as many humans as I can before I go to sleep again. Or better yet...I won't go to sleep at all! Ha ha ha ha!"  
  
But then he glances at the clock and sees that it's only three in the morning. He pulls the sheet over his head and groans, "Oh man..." 


	33. To stall or not to stall? That is the re...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Late that morning Gohan wakes up to find Kakarot hurriedly rushing around the operations room. Gohan also notices he has bloodshot eyes. Kakarot says, "Vegeta, hurry up and make breakfast. We're starting our mission now."  
  
Gohan yelps, "What?! I thought we were going to start the day after tomorrow! You know, 'the day after the full moon' bit."  
  
"Change of plans. Hurry up! Move, move, move!" Kakarot rushes over to Goten's room and wakes him up.  
  
Gohan thinks, {Dammit! I can't let him kill people! I need to stall him. But what could possibly...The Dragonballs!}  
  
Gohan walks over to Kakarot's direction, "Sir! I have something to tell you!" 


	34. Hypnotismnever trust it2

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Vegeta, the real Vegeta, is in his room, writing something down. Bulma passes his open door and spies him.  
  
Bulma asks, "Vegeta? What are you doing? How come you're not training?"  
  
Vegeta jumps up in surprise and hides the paper behind his back, "What are you doing looking in my room?!"  
  
Bulma frowns, "It's my house! Now what were you writing?!"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "None of your business, woman. Now go away, I'm busy."  
  
Bulma's face turned red, and she yells, "Look here buster! I'm not some trophy of yours that you can push around and do with whatever you like! If anything I own you! Now I demand to know what you're writing!" She lunges for the paper, but Vegeta dodges it and is already in the next room. Bulma ends up smacking her head against the edge of the desk.  
  
Bulma moans, "Owww." Then she stomps off to Vegeta's direction, and she sees him writing again. Suddenly she breaks down into tears to Vegeta's complete surprise. She yells, "You're cheating on me aren't you?! You're writing to some ditz who's younger and prettier than I am! And you're planning on leaving me!" And she starts crying again.  
  
Vegeta doesn't quite know how to Bulma's outburst, "Um...I'm not?"  
  
Bulma demands, "Then show me what you're writing!"  
  
Vegeta yells, "Do you really think I'm that stupid?!" But Bulma cries even harder. Vegeta sighs, "Alright! All right! You can look at it! Jesus, I don't why you're making such a big deal out of this!" He hands the paper over to Bulma, who stops crying immediately.  
  
Bulma gives him a triumphant look and reads the paper out loud, "I, Vegeta no ouji, leave everything I own to my son, Trunks Briefs, after I die." Then it was followed by his signature and an inventory list, half-finished. Bulma raises her eyebrow at him, "What the heck is this?"  
  
Vegeta sighs a breath of relief, {Thank the cosmos she didn't look at the inventory.} "What does it look like?! It's a will!"  
  
Bulma demands, "Why are you making a will?"  
  
Vegeta blushes, "Gah...Well I...You know how high risk my...erm...occupation is. And well...it's just in case...in the unlikely circumstance that I..."  
  
Bulma smiles, "That's sweet of you. I'm glad you're actually acting responsible." And she kisses Vegeta on the cheek. But then she spots an item on the inventory list, "Hey what's this?"  
  
Vegeta yelps, "No! Don't read that!"  
  
Too late. "SLEA-Z GIRLZ PORNO MAGASINE COLLECTION?! WHEN THE HELL DID YOU GET THOSE?! FROM ROSHI?! AND YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE THEM TO TRUNKS?! WHERE ARE THEY?!"  
  
Vegeta yells, "I'm not telling you! You'll turn pyro on me!"  
  
"Well if you don't tell me, I'll find them anyway! And they will burn! Hell yes, they will burn!"  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!"  
  
Bulma yells, "I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!" And she picks up a metal lamp and throws it at him. Vegeta retaliates by hitting it back at her. Bulma dodges it, but not completely. The lamp hits her platinum watch, giving off a loud 'CLANG'.  
  
Vegeta grits his teeth and closes his eyes, clutching at his head. But a second later, he opens his eyes and his expression is softer, gentle even. He says in a totally innocent and happy way, "Hi Bulma!"  
  
"DON'T YOU 'HI BULMA' ME!"  
  
Vegeta gives her a quizzical glance, "Jeesh, what's gotten on your nerve?"  
  
"What's gotten on my nerve? WHAT'S GOTTEN ON MY NERVE? YOU JUST BROKE MY BRAND NEW WATCH!!"  
  
Vegeta shrinks back a little and says meekly, "I did? How?"  
  
"DON'T PLAY INNOCENT WITH ME! YOU THREW THAT LAMP AT ME!"  
  
He asks, "Now why would I do that?"  
  
"WHY YOU!! BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO BURN YOUR SLEA-Z GIRLZ COLLECTION!" Now Bulma's throat is getting really hoarse.  
  
"I don't have a Slea-Z Girlz Collection!"  
  
"YES, YOU DO! I HAVE PROOF RIGHT HERE!" And she shoves the will in his face. He takes it and reads it. A large sweatdrop forms on his head, "Bulma, this is Vegeta's will. Not mine."  
  
Bulma stares at him in disbelief, "But YOU ARE VEGETA!...Aren't you?"  
  
Vegeta says, "I'm not Vegeta. Don't you recognize me? It's me, Goku. Gee, Bulma. You'd have to be really tired to think someone else is your husband."  
  
Bulma pales, "You're not Vegeta? But you look just like-...Oh god." Then she faints.  
  
Vegeta shakes his head, "I knew she was tired. I'll just take her up to your room." He picks up Bulma and carries her up the stairs, passing Trunks on the way. Vegeta says, cheerfully, "Hi Trunks!"  
  
Trunks raises an eyebrow, "Uh...hi?" Then he shrugs it off and goes downstairs. Vegeta opens the door to Bulma's room and lays her down on the bed. Then Vegeta sits down next to her and wonders out-loud, "What am I doing in Capsule Corps anyway? Shouldn't I be in the Otherworld? Oh well, the whole gang will want to see me. I better go back to my house."  
  
He puts two fingers to his forehead and concentrates. But nothing happens. A large sweatdrop forms on his forehead, "How do I do this again? Darn it! I forgot! Guess I better fly." Still disturbed that he forgot (or never learned) Goku's favorite technique, he opens up the window and flies out, heading in the direction of the Son household.  
  
Meanwhile downstairs Trunks goes into his the room where Vegeta's transformation just took place. He sees the mess in the room and sighs. His parents always fight. But then he notices his mother's broken watch and the metal lamp on the floor. Putting two and two together he realizes what happened and runs up the stairs yelling, "GOKU! GOKU! COMEBACK!" Running into Bulma's room, he sees the open window and knows he's too late.  
  
He runs to Bulma and shakes her awake, "Mom! Mom! Where did Dad go?! I mean Goku. Either one of them!" Bulma tries to talk, but she lost her voice yelling at Vegeta, and still lightheaded she falls back into a stupor.  
  
Trunks tucks her into bed and thinks, {I have to go after Dad! Oh god, what is he going to do in his state of mind? Goku in my Dad's body.} He shivers just thinking about it. {But where would he go? Probably to his-I mean Goku's-house. I'll go check there first.}  
  
Trunks writes a note to Bulma before he leaves, 'Went to Goten's house to play. Dad went training somewhere. Be back soon, Trunks. P.S. Dad does not think he's Goku. But if he does I had nothing to do with it.' Trunks nods, satisfied and leaves the note on Bulma's bedstand. Then he flies after Vegeta. 


	35. FINALLY! Useful lies

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot flies as fast as he can over the countryside with Gohan and Goten trailing behind him, and he does not look happy. He demands, "Why didn't you tell me about these Dracoballs before?!"  
  
Gohan corrects him, "It's Dragonballs. And since you can only get them for today every ten years I figured I could tell you this morning."  
  
Kakarot yells, "WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG! Now let's find those Dragonballs before it's too late. How many do we have?"  
  
Goten answers, "Three."  
  
"How many do we need?"  
  
Gohan quickly cuts in before Goten can answer, "We need 10."  
  
Kakarot frowns, "All right. Seven more to go. Hurry up you two."  
  
Goten trudges along in the back, sulky because he has to wear a saiyan suit. He asks, "Do I have to wear this?"  
  
Kakarot scowls, "I can't believe how UN-Saiyan you are. Of course you have to wear it! In fact you should be happy you're wearing that!"  
  
Goten protests, "But I look stupid in this!"  
  
"AARGH! YOU'RE JUST A CHILD! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU! YOU'RE JUST A CHILD! BOTH OF YOU!"  
  
Gohan yelps, "What?!"  
  
Meanwhile Goku is speed reading a whole lot of books, learning all he can. But he skips the books titled, 'Why You're Such an Idiot' and 'Why You're So Gullible'. 


	36. Hypnotismnever trust it3

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Vegeta finally spots Goku's house under him and says, "There it is. Jeez, I got lost so many times. I thought the house moved or something." He lands next to the door and walks in.  
  
ChiChi is busy in the kitchen, cooking a tremendous amount of food, apparently getting it ready for her sons' hopeful return. Vegeta notices a giant pile of tissues next to her. Puzzled and saddened by her state, Vegeta sneaks up behind her and pecks her on the neck. ChiChi freezes up at his touch.  
  
Vegeta smiles, "Hi ChiChi."  
  
ChiChi's eyes grow extremely wide, and she turns to confirm the owner of the voice. Vegeta gives her a big warm smile. ChiChi suddenly whips out her magical frying pan and whacks Vegeta over the head with it several times.  
  
Vegeta yelps, "OW! What did you do that for?!"  
  
ChiChi points the pan in his direction and yells, "DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO KISS ME!"  
  
Vegeta pales, "I don't? Why?"  
  
"YOU IDIOT! YOU NEVER HAD ANY RIGHT TO! I'M NOT JUST SOME HUMAN WOMAN YOU CAN PUSH AROUND!"  
  
Vegeta says, "Wait a minute, I think you're still mad at me because I died right?"  
  
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"  
  
Vegeta asks, "And why's everyone screaming at me?! I don't get it!"  
  
Then the kitchen door bangs open and Trunks shows up. He yells, "I need you to come with me! Quick!"  
  
Vegeta says, "Can you please wait a minute, Trunks? I'm trying to talk to ChiChi."  
  
Trunks shivers and says, "Look! You have to come now! It's an emergency!"  
  
Vegeta asks, "Is there another monster that wants to destroy the world?!"  
  
Trunks yells, "Yes! Yes, there is, Goku! We need you to save the world again!"  
  
Vegeta says thoughtfully, "That's funny. I don't feel any new presences. But I guess I should go."  
  
ChiChi butts in, "You're Goku?! Wait a minute! You're not going anywhere!" She grabs him by the collar and chokes Vegeta, "I'm talking to you mister!"  
  
Trunks grabs Vegeta's hand, "You're not talking to anyone!"  
  
ChiChi grabs Vegeta's other hand, "I will when I want!" And the two start a tug-o-war contest, using a frightened Vegeta as the rope. Trunks and ChiChi pulls harder and harder stretching Vegeta to the limit. Suddenly the Vegeta's gloves pop off and Trunks and ChiChi both fly against the opposite walls from their exceeding force, and they pass out.  
  
Vegeta sighs a breath of relief and says, "Jeez, what's up with those two? And why did they fly back like that?" He looks at both of their hands and sees they have the trademark white gloves in his hands. He looks at himself and shrieks, "GAH! WHAT AM I DOING IN VEGGIE'S CLOTHES?! I better get my own clothes on!" He runs up the stairs, trying to find his way around.  
  
He thinks, {Boy, ChiChi must've rearranged the whole house! I can't find anything!} He finally comes upon Goku's bedroom, "Here we go." Then he looks in Goku's closet. He sees all of Goku's clothes and picks out the orange and blue gi. But then he puts it on and finds out it's far too big for him. "What the heck?!"  
  
He goes to the back of the closet and spies some training suites that Goku wore as a teenager. He pokes at a hole in the shirt and frowns, "Oh well, these'll have to do. I gotta get ChiChi to fix it up." He changes into it and sighs, "Much better. I can't stand spandex. It's too tight. Wonder why Veggie likes it so much. And what happened to my regular clothes? They must've grown bigger somehow, because I know I didn't shrink. Well it's not that far-fetched. If clothes can shrink in the wash, they should be able to grow too, right?"  
  
Vegeta looks in the mirror and in his eyes, he sees only the normal Goku, with Goku hair, Goku eyes, Goku smiles, everything perfect. Vegeta gives his Goku reflection a thumbs up, "Looking good there."  
  
He runs down to the kitchen to see if Trunks or ChiChi have woken up yet, but they're still unconscious. Shaking his head with disapproval he carries ChiChi up to her room and Trunks to sleep it off in Goten's bed. Feeling hungry, he goes over to the kitchen again and takes all the food out of the fridge, carrying it to the living room to snack and watch TV  
  
Two hours later, Vegeta wakes up with some drool coming out of his mouth. He gazes around and sees he fell asleep on the couch. Wiping off the saliva from his lip, he checks to see if Trunks and ChiChi are awake. They aren't.  
  
Vegeta sighs, looking in on ChiChi, {I can't hang around here all day. I'll see if I can go find Gohan and Goten.} Giving a last look to ChiChi, he goes outside and flies off in search of Goku's sons.  
  
Five minutes later, Trunks wakes up in Goten's bed. He rubs the throbbing bump on his head and tries to figure out what happened. Suddenly he remembers about his father and runs downstairs. Too late. Vegeta is gone. Trunks yells, "Not again!" 


	37. mmmmmfishWhere did that come from?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot, Gohan, and Goten already collected six Dragonballs successfully without the help of a Dragon Radar. And now they needed "four" more. Kakarot stops them at a small stream to rest and have lunch.  
  
Kakarot says, "Vegeta, Chibi Kakarot Jr., go look for some firewood. I'm going to catch some fish."  
  
'Vegeta' asks, "Do you even know what fish are?"  
  
Kakarot frowns, "Of course I know what they are! They're my favorite food!"  
  
Gohan and Goten stare at Kakarot and think, {That is really creepy.}  
  
Meanwhile Kakarot thinks, {Creepy. How do I know how to catch fish?! Must be from Goku.}  
  
Gohan says, "Well if you say so." And the two Sons leave Kakarot and head up to the skies.  
  
Half an hour later, they have armfuls of sticks enough to last two weeks, and they're ready to head back to camp. Suddenly Gohan sees a familiar, yet impossible sight. A man with black hair, wearing an orange and blue gi.  
  
Gohan yelps, "DAD?!" And he promptly drops his sticks on top of Gohan.  
  
Goten yells, "Hey! What was that for?!"  
  
Gohan says in a daze, "Goten, go back to camp without me. I'll be there soon."  
  
Goten pouts, "Gohan, that hurt!"  
  
Gohan quickly cups up Goten's mouth, "Shhh! Don't call me that! What if Kakarot hear?! I'm sorry about dropping the sticks on top of you okay?"  
  
Goten nods sullenly and Gohan lets go, "Now go tell Kakarot I'll be back soon."  
  
Goten smiles and chirps, "Okay!" Goten flies off, leaving Gohan to go in search of the apparition of his father. 


	38. You kind of know him

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Vegeta flies around the mountains, trying to find anyone in the Z Gang. But especially Gohan and Goten. However he still has no such luck. Suddenly he feels a strong ki coming closer. He turns to its direction and to his amazement he sees a fully-fledged saiyan flying straight at him. He quickly gets into a fighting stance, unaware if this saiyan is friend or foe.  
  
The saiyan yells out, "Dad!"  
  
Vegeta's eyes widen, {Gohan?} They come within closer eye contact and once they see who the other really is, they stare at the other in shock.  
  
Gohan thinks, {What the hell?! That's Vegeta! What's he doing in my dad's clothes?!}  
  
Vegeta is staring at Gohan just as hard, {What the hell?! What happened to Gohan?! He looks more...more saiyan! A tail! The armor! How?! Why?!}  
  
Gohan says, "Um...Vegeta? What are you doing in my dad's clothes? And why are your eyes so...weird?"  
  
Vegeta gives him a puzzled look, "But I'm not Vegeta. Don't you recognize me?"  
  
Gohan's eyes widen, "You're Dad?!"  
  
Vegeta smiles Goku's famous Son smile, "Now you get it!"  
  
Gohan yells, "No way!"  
  
Vegeta mistakes Gohan's disbelief for excitement and says, "Yes way!" And he squeezes Gohan in a deathly bear hug. Gohan can't breath and starts to turn blue. Vegeta asks, "How the heck did you get a tail anyway?" Gohan can't answer. Vegeta looks at him, "Gohan?" He lets go and Gohan struggles to breathe.  
  
Vegeta laughs, "Oops. Guess I don't know my own strength!"  
  
Gohan stares at him laughing Goku's no-worries laugh. He thinks, {I don't blame him for not knowing his own strength. He doesn't even know he's Vegeta.} He shivers, {God, that is so weird. Almost as weird as Dad's body being invaded by someone who's ego is worse than Vegeta's.}  
  
Vegeta stops laughing when he notices Gohan isn't laughing with him. Changing the subject, Vegeta says, "Well Gohan, you've really changed from the last time I saw you. I can tell you're training a lot more now," he smiles, "you still have time to do your homework right?"  
  
Gohan pales, "I...uh...I, I, I..."  
  
Vegeta asks, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"  
  
Gohan shakes it off, {Come on! This is Vegeta we're talking about!} He says, "I haven't been to school for nearly a month."  
  
Vegeta yelps, "What?! How did you get your mother to let you do that?!"  
  
Gohan turns away, ashamed, "She doesn't even know where I am. Or Goten for that matter."  
  
Vegeta asks, "Well, this is a...surprise. Goten is with you right?" Gohan nods. Vegeta scratches the back of his head, "I don't get it. Why didn't you go back?"  
  
Gohan chuckles nervously, "Well we were kind of...kidnapped." "By who?"  
  
"Uh...a saiyan... He got me my tail back," he wags his tail a little, "and Goten's too."  
  
Vegeta has a worried expression on his face, "There's another saiyan on Earth?"  
  
Gohan says, "Not exactly 'another' saiyan. You kind of know him."  
  
"Vegeta?"  
  
Gohan shakes his head, "No."  
  
"Nappa?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Raditz?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Turles?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
Vegeta exclaims, "But I don't know any more saiyans!"  
  
Gohan raises an eyebrow. A strange thing for the Prince of all Saiyans to say. Gohan says, "You know who it is."  
  
Vegeta laughs and says jokingly, "Me?" 


	39. The first time

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A minute after Chibi Kakarot Jr. came back and told him "Vegeta" would be late, Kakarot became impatient and went in search of Gohan. Flying around the mountains, he comes upon the area where Goten told him, he and Gohan were last. He checks his scouter and recognizes Gohan's ki...but there's another one...No, it can't be. He flies over to their direction to make sure.  
  
Kakarot flies behind a mountain and peers over the side. Gohan's there all right. Kakarot narrows his eyes. The traitor is there too. Kakarot hisses, "That disgusting slug. What is Vegeta doing with him?" He can't hear what they're saying, but they both share a familiar, if not friendly level. Except his "Vegeta" has a nervous/sick expression on his face.  
  
All of a sudden Kakarot hears mental Goku's voice, {What the hell is Vegeta doing in my clothes?!}  
  
Kakarot yelps, "Jesus Christ! H-how?!"  
  
Goku mutters, {I did a little bit of reading.}  
  
Kakarot demands, "What are you talking about?!"  
  
Goku yells, {I want to know why Vegeta has my clothes! Go ask him!}  
  
Kakarot says in a hushed tone, "Goku! Quit yelling! They'll hear you!"  
  
Goku yells back, {Only you can hear me, you idiot!} Kakarot smirks, "A little peeved, I see. Don't like being considered a gullible fool?"  
  
{WILL YOU JUST DO AS I SAY?!}  
  
Kakarot crosses his arms and sneers, "Why should I?"  
  
Goku growls, {I will personally make sure that the second that you close your eyes, you never wake up ever again.}  
  
Kakarot smirks, "A little harsh for your character isn't it?"  
  
Goku yells, {Just go over there!}  
  
Kakarot growls, "Yes "Master" Goku." Although he's amused by Goku's anger, the fact that Goku has him at his mercy is beyond mortification. Not to mention the fact that Goku stole his body.  
  
He restores himself to his usual egotistical mode and slowly flies out from his hiding place. But when he gets out there he sees that "Vegeta" and "Goku" have already flown away.  
  
Mental Goku growls, {What took you so long? If you were faster you could have gotten to talk to them.}  
  
Kakarot yells back, "WILL YOU SHUT UP?! I'M NOT SOME HAND SERVANT THAT YOU CAN ORDER AROUND!" He continues to swear at him as he heads back to camp. He thinks, {So Vegeta is a traitor. I'll have to dispose of him the same way as that vile insect that dares to call himself prince. If anything 'I' should be prince!} Goku rolls his eyes at Kakarot's thoughts.  
  
Kakarot sighs, {At least I still have Chibi Kakarot Jr. } A loud clap of thunder interrupts his thought and looking up at the sky, he sees that it's beginning to rain. He thinks, {Great. Good things never happen when it rains.}  
  
He sees the stream where they stopped for lunch and lands at the now waterlogged pile of ash that used to be a fire. Kakarot looks around and sees no sign of his "clone." And the Dragonballs are missing too. He detects hints that "Goku" and "Vegeta" were there. A few hairs from "Vegeta's" tail, a shred of orange cloth.  
  
Kakarot cups his hands around his mouth and yells, "Chibi Kakarot Jr.! Don't play games with me! Come back!" But there is no answer. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" He stops yelling and shakes with the unfamiliar feeling of fear, "No...It can't be..."  
  
He quickly flies up in search of his favorite little recruit fearing the worst. He thinks, {I should have never left Chibi Kakarot Jr. alone! That Vegeta! He's so jealous of him that he went and kidnapped him!} Suddenly he spots something on the ground and flies down next to it. A charred miniature saiyan suit, half-lying in a puddle.  
  
Kakarot kneels down next to it and picks it up. Goku says, {No...This isn't possible. They wouldn't go and do something like that!} But there is no doubt in Kakarot's mind. This is the only trace left of Chibi Kakarot Jr., his clone, his...son.  
  
Kakarot screams and pounds the ground, "NO! NO! NO! This isn't possible! THOSE BASTARDS WILL PAY FOR THIS! THEY'LL PAY WITH THEIR LIVES!!" Then a strange yellow aura emits from his body and with another howl of grief, Kakarot becomes Super Saiyan. (Sound familiar?)  
  
He holds the breastplate close and tears escape his anguished eyes. He flickers off. Now he sits, alone, in the rain. (Except for Goku, but....y'know he doesn't really count.) 


	40. Invisible hair

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
"Boy, that was sure a close one, right Goten?" Gohan says calmly, coming into the Son residence out of the rain.  
  
Goten chirps happily, "Sure was!"  
  
Vegeta follows the two, closing the door behind them, "Goten, you should have known better than that, carrying around a video game in a thunderstorm." He drops down the bag with the Dragonballs onto the coffee table.  
  
Goten protests, "But it was a cool video game! And anyway Kakarot gave it to me."  
  
Gohan mutters, "Kakarot. Shmakarot. He only liked you because he thought you were his clone."  
  
Goten yells, "You're just jealous cuz you didn't get anything from him!"  
  
Gohan starts to yell back, "Well, I-"  
  
Vegeta yells, "Now stop it! Both of you! No arguing! Now make up and be friends again."  
  
Gohan and Goten say simultaneously, "But he-"  
  
"Never mind and make up! We have enough on our hands already." Vegeta is in a really bad mood, because he just found out that Kakarot had his own state of mind and took over Goku's body to fulfil his obsolete mission to kill all earthlings. Not only that, Vegeta also found out he isn't the person he thought he was. He's Vegeta, who just thinks he's Goku for some reason nobody can figure out.  
  
He still is unable to believe that he is Vegeta. He thinks, {Me? Vegeta? That's possibly the dumbest thing I ever heard. Maybe somehow I was taken from my body and put into little Veggie's. And Veggie's in mine. It's possible from the way my body's being used. But why would Veggie want to kill humans? I'll just play along until I find out what exactly is going on.}  
  
Vegeta scratches his head and sifts his fingers through his hair a little, thinking about the enigma. Goten and Gohan stare at him. To them they see Vegeta moving his fingers in the air for no apparent reason.  
  
Gohan asks, "Uh...Vegeta? What are you doing?"  
  
Vegeta says, "Umm...feeling my hair."  
  
Goten's eyes widen, {Invisible hair!} "Cool! Can I see?!"  
  
Vegeta gives him a puzzled look, "Uh...okay." He squats so Goten can reach. Goten moves his hand around where Vegeta was supposedly feeling his hair and he feels nothing.  
  
Goten pouts, "Hey! There's nothing there!"  
  
He makes a fist, which Vegeta feels clamp around his imaginary hair, and Vegeta yelps, "Hey! What are you doing?!" And then Goten yanks. "YEOOOW!" 


	41. Waiting

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
In his own space in Kakarot's mind, Goku is really worried about Goten. (As any father should be.) He thinks to himself making sure Kakarot can't hear, {What could have happened to Goten? I know Gohan and Vegeta wouldn't have hurt him. Maybe he just left his armor there because he didn't like it. But why was it charred?}  
  
He has other worries on his mind, very BIG worries, {I almost lost control with my Super Saiyan powers. Good thing I got it back before 'he' noticed. Another anger surge like that and I might lose total control. Then Kakarot will become stronger than he already is. That could be devastating! And what is Kakarot planning on doing to Gohan and Vegeta? I can't seem to penetrate that deep into his thoughts. Kakarot said it would be worse than death though. What could he possibly do?}  
  
He growls at Kakarot, "I'm ready for you Kakarot. The next time you go to sleep I will have you. You can't stay awake forever!" Then he sinks back into his bottomless pit of worry. 


	42. Recognition! kind of

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
ChiChi suddenly opens her eyes, woken from her slumber by a loud howl of pain. Wasn't much of a sleep anyway on account of her anxiety for her sons. She thinks, {What in the blazing hell was that?} She grabs her robe and hurries down the stairs. To her amazement she sees Gohan and Goten are actually standing in her living room, safe and sound.  
  
She cries, "Oh my god! It's you!"  
  
Goten runs over her to hug her, "Mommy!" And Gohan follows suit. Vegeta smiles at the happy scene.  
  
ChiChi smiles through her sobs, "Oh, I was so worried about you. I thought the worst had happened to you! I'm so happy to see you! Boys?"  
  
Gohan and Goten say, "Yeah?"  
  
ChiChi screams at the top of her lungs, "DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!!!" Scaring the hell out of the boys. "NOW I WANT AN EXPLANATION OF YOUR ACTIONS! PRONTO!"  
  
Gohan says, "Mom, I-"  
  
"DON'T INTERRUPT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU! Do you have ANY idea how behind you are in school?!"  
  
Gohan says, "But, Mom!"  
  
"NO BUTS! March up to your room right now and study!"  
  
Gohan sighs, "Yes mother."  
  
ChiChi adds, "And change out of that outfit and get rid of that thing on your butt. It looks ridiculous. That goes for both of you!"  
  
Gohan and Goten both yelp, "Mom!"  
  
"DON'T ARGUE! YOU'RE IN ENOUGH TROUBLE ALREADY!"  
  
Vegeta puts a hand on ChiChi's shoulder, "ChiChi, honey, just listen to them," Gohan stares at Vegeta, "those things are tails. Look!"  
  
ChiChi freezes up and quickly swats Vegeta's hand off her shoulder, "I appreciate that you brought back Gohan and Goten...BUT DON'T CALL ME HONEY IN VEGETA'S BODY! You're in trouble too! What the heck are you doing back on Earth and HOW did you manage to get yourself to look like VEGETA?!"  
  
Vegeta says, "Waaait a minute. You think I'm Goku? YES!!!! I knew SOMEBODY would recognize me! WOOHOO!" Vegeta dances happily around the room, ChiChi still looks peeved, Goten is confused, and Gohan seems to be the only one freaked out. 


	43. Joining the club2

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
That night Goku comes upon a book called, 'How to Tap Into the Knowledge of the Mind Controlling Your Body.' He thinks, {I saw this earlier didn't I? It probably says, "You can't" like all the other ones.} He is just about to toss it aside again, but his hand stops, and he thinks, {Well I suppose there's no harm in looking.}  
  
He slowly opens the pages and expecting to see the usual disappointment. But to his amazement the whole entire page is covered with words. There are actually words on the paper! The book trembles in his hands and Goku is almost too afraid to read it, {What if it just has many ways to say I can't? But then again what if it doesn't? Drat it! I can't just NOT read it!}  
  
Goku begins reading it and to his ecstasy, the words are actually guidelines. "YES!!! WOOHOO!!!" And he dances happily around the room, "GO ME! GO ME!"  
  
Kakarot yells, "GOKU! WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" still grieving about Goten's supposed death.  
  
Goku shuts his mouth, but can hardly contain his excitement. {This is how I can find out what Kakarot is planning on doing to Gohan and Vegeta. And I can get MY tail back too. It really seems to be the trend these days.} 


	44. Poor kid

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
The day of the full moon Kakarot concentrates, training his mind, getting ready for the encounter with Vegeta. There will be no fighting when they meet. Only enough time for the total humiliation and revenge of his adversary.  
  
Suddenly Kakarot feels a part of his head go numb, breaking his concentration. On and off, on and off, on and off, again and again.  
  
It gets to be too much and Kakarot yells, "Goku! If that's you, quit messing with my head!"  
  
Goku yells back, {Not on your life! I'm having too much fun!}  
  
Kakarot pounds the wall with frustration, "DON'T YOU REALIZE I'M TRAINING TO FIGHT THE PEOPLE WHO KILLED MY...our...CLONE?!"  
  
Goku answers, {They wouldn't kill him, I know those two. They wouldn't do anything to hurt them.} Kakarot, however, still doesn't believe it.  
  
The brain numbing gets to be too much of an annoyance and he stops meditating to get something to eat. Goku says, {Oh, if you're going to eat something, fish is good.}  
  
Kakarot glares at his reflection, {I'll eat something else just to spite him. Dammit. I'm deprived of my favorite food.} He grabs a leg of ham and goes over to the fire to cook it. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Goten's breastplate lying in the corner of the cave.  
  
In the mood to experiment, he picks it up and molds it into the shape of a glove. Goku stops tapping into Kakarot's mind, long enough to watch what Kakarot is doing. Kakarot spits on the glove and throws it into the fire. Then he mumbles some Ancient Saiyan verses and the glove glows bright blue. When Kakarot is done, he takes the glove from the fire with his bare hands and throws it in the freezer to cool. Goku asks, {What was that about?}  
  
Kakarot growls, "None of your business."  
  
A little later Kakarot's head feels a better, and he checks on the glove. He sits back down with it and recites, "If noble heart has given up or died in his armor, the legacy of his ancestors. Then royal blood may mold it and noble heart may wear it in the shape of his hand, his most reliable weapon. This powerful weapon will give the noble heart power and strength. One not of noble heart or Saiyan blood cannot use this weapon and will be punished for his misdeeds or foolhardiness...."  
  
Kakarot pauses, trying to remember what the manuscripts say about the punishment, but can't recall it. Goku asks, {Did you just make that up?}  
  
Kakarot snaps, "Of course not fool! It's the instructions for the Weapon."  
  
Goku snickers, {Does it come with a warranty too?}  
  
Kakarot growls, "I can't believe how not-saiyan you are."  
  
Kakarot tries the glove on and feels...nothing. Then suddenly the glove glows white hot and he tries to pull it off, but the pain is too immense. He can feel his skin peeling off and his flesh and bones charring and blackening. Finally he manages to pull it off. He gasps in pain and fears to look at his hand, but he sees that it has no wounds. But it looks strange, smaller, less muscular.  
  
Goku asks, {Um...Kakarot? Why don't you look in the mirror?}  
  
Kakarot snarls, "Look in the mirror, why should I?" But with a start he realizes how high pitched his voice is. He runs to the mirror and to his horror he sees the reflection of a little boy. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
Goku yells, {How the hell did you get us turned into a kid?!}  
  
Kakarot says, "It must be the punishment! But...How can I not be of noble heart?! I am more worthy than all the other saiyans in the universe!"  
  
Goku mutters, {So all that mumbo jumbo was true...This isn't permanent is it?!}  
  
Kakarot yells, "HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO KNOW?!"  
  
{YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GOT MY BODY LIKE THIS!}  
  
"IT'S MY BODY!"  
  
{It doesn't matter now. We're still stuck like this! Isn't there something about this?!}  
  
Kakarot cries, "I don't remember!"  
  
Goku says, {Wait, let me check something.}  
  
Kakarot feels his head go numb again and he yells, "WILL YOU QUIT DOING THAT?!"  
  
Goku says, {I can go into the memories that you've forgotten. Just let me see what's up with this glove.}  
  
Kakarot pouts, "Oh fine."  
  
After a minute, Goku says, {It's only for an hour. Then you're back to normal.} Kakarot growls, "Stupid glove!" He throws the glove in a corner of the cave and blasts it. When the smoke clears he sees that it isn't destroyed.  
  
Goku says, {Uh...I think you missed.}  
  
"I didn't miss it! You can't destroy it! It's impossible!"  
  
{Really? Let me check that.}  
  
Kakarot's brain goes numb again, and Kakarot stamps his foot like the little child he is, "WILL YOU STOP THAT?!"  
  
{Just a sec.} Kakarot's brain goes back to normal again. Goku asks, {Guess you were right. So why did you make it if you can't destroy it?} He already knows the answer, but he just wanted to get on Kakarot's nerves.  
  
Kakarot mutters, "I was planning on using it, but now I found out the damn thing is defective. That can be the only reason why I'm like this!" Kakarot turns away from the glove and begins to sulk.  
  
Goku asks, {Uh...what are you going to do about the glove?}  
  
"Glove? What glove? I don't know about any stupid stinkin' glove. Now shut up and leave me alone!" 


	45. Back to the normtemporarily

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Back at the Son residence. The "family" in other words, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten and ChiChi, are enjoying their lunch outside. Fortunately Gohan and Goten didn't have to cut their tails off. And at the moment they're all staring at the Goku-like manner Vegeta is eating his food.  
  
Gohan asks, "Uh...wouldn't you rather eat with Bulma and Trunks?"  
  
Vegeta pauses and says thoughtfully, "Hmm. No. Not really. Why?"  
  
Gohan says, "Well you know you are..."  
  
Vegeta sighs, "Rrright. I'm suppose to be Vegeta."  
  
ChiChi says, "Really Gohan. I don't see how you can suggest something so ridiculous."  
  
Gohan sweatdrops, "What ever you say, Mom."  
  
ChiChi says, "Besides, your father is going to get a job tomorrow."  
  
Everyone does a spit-take, "WHAT?!"  
  
ChiChi frowns, "You heard me. Tomorrow I'll drive you to town and find a job for you. I'm sick and tired of you laying around the house all day when you should be working to get money to feed our family!"  
  
Vegeta's eyes widen, "But ChiChi, I-"  
  
"No buts! You start work tomorrow!"  
  
Vegeta looks very crestfallen and Gohan KNOWS Vegeta would never take anything like that from his mother...or Bulma for that matter. Now he really has doubts whether Vegeta really is Vegeta or not. {He has to be Vegeta. He has to be. But he's so much like... Snap out it Gohan! Snap out of it!}  
  
All of a sudden lunch is interrupted when Trunks suddenly falls out of the sky and lands right on top of Vegeta, knocking him out of his seat. Vegeta rubs his head and moans, "Ow..." Then he notices Trunks, "Oh hey Trunks! Nice of you to 'drop in.' Ha ha! I really crack myself up!"  
  
Goten and Gohan run over to Trunks and sees he's exhausted with hunger and fatigue. Goten yells, "Trunks! Are you all right?!"  
  
Vegeta gives Trunks a worried look, "You're right. He doesn't look too good."  
  
Gohan says, "He must have lost consciousness while flying."  
  
ChiChi frowns, "Goten, this is why I don't want you to hang around with Trunks. Such bad influence. Showing up without being invited."  
  
Everyone stares at her and sweatdrops.  
  
Unexpectedly, Trunks begins to stir and whispers in a hoarse voice to Goten, "Snap...your fingers...Goten..." Then he passes out and begins to snore.  
  
Gohan frowns, "I think he must be a little delusional. Snap your fingers. What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
Goten whines, "Besides I don't know how to snap my fingers."  
  
Vegeta says, "Oh it's easy. I'll show you." Vegeta positions Goten's fingers and shows his how to move them quickly to make it make a sound. But Goten doesn't seem to get the hang of it.  
  
Goten pouts, "It's not working."  
  
Gohan says, "I'll do it."  
  
Vegeta frowns, "No, let your brother do it."  
  
After several attempts Goten finally makes a loud SNAP! Goten says excitedly, "YEAH! I DID IT!"  
  
Gohan says, "Great Goten!"  
  
ChiChi says, "You should thank your father for that."  
  
Goten turns to Vegeta, "Yeah! Thanks a lot!" But then he sees Vegeta has a strange dazed look in his eye. "Uh...Dad?"  
  
Vegeta blinks and growls, "Who're you calling Dad?!" He looks around and demands, "What am I doing here?! Where's Bulma?!"  
  
Gohan says, "I think, he thinks he's Vegeta now." ChiChi realizes it too and bursts into tears.  
  
Vegeta yells, "Of course I'm Vegeta! Who else would I be?!"  
  
Goten says, "Well you could be my dad." Gohan quickly cups up Goten's mouth, but it's too late.  
  
"WHAT?!!!" 


	46. The midnight duel

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Midnight, full moon, mountain retreat.  
  
The re-aged Kakarot wait for "Goku" to show up. Waits for the ultimate demise of his enemy. Only minutes from now he will be nothing to Kakarot. All worries about "Goku" will be erased from his mind. He planned everything down to the last millisecond. There will be no fighting. He knows he's ready. And Kakarot rolls his eyes at the author's over- dramatization.  
  
He looks up at the full moon through his special "moon glasses", filtering the moon rays. Then Goku perks up, {Look Kakarot. Don't do this to them. They didn't do anything to Goten! I swear it! What you're planning is sick! Not to mention downright dangerous! What if you permanently damage them?!}  
  
Kakarot smirks, "They may get hurt, but that's a risk I am willing to take."  
  
Kakarot sees two figures approaching him. He squints up at the silhouettes and sees it's "Goku" and "Vegeta." Kakarot chuckles to himself, "That poor fool. But the more the merrier. That insolent brat will share 'Goku's' fate as well.  
  
As the two land on the tall plateau to confront their enemy, Kakarot says, "Well, well, well. Good of you to show up. I was afraid you would too scared to fulfil your part of the deal. You were quite brave too, Vegeta. Daring to show your face even though I will get my revenge for what you did." Gohan glares at him, although he's not quite sure what he's talking about.  
  
The 'real' Vegeta looks at the two, somewhat confused, but then he figures it out. Gohan stole his name. Vegeta growls, "What did you tell him your name was?"  
  
Kakarot smirks, "I see now. You're still mad at him about having the same name."  
  
Vegeta stares at him and turns to Gohan, "Exactly what did you tell him?"  
  
Gohan says meekly, "I told him my name's Vegeta."  
  
Vegeta boils with anger and embarrassment, "Now why would you do something as stupid as that?"  
  
Gohan laughs nervously, "Actually it's quite interesting. You see, I couldn't think of a good saiyan name."  
  
Kakarot asks, "Uh...what-"  
  
Vegeta asks, "And you thought you would take mine?"  
  
Gohan yelps, "It was pure accident! I swear!"  
  
Kakarot says, "I-"  
  
Vegeta yells, "YOU ARE SO DEAD!!! JUST BECAUSE KAKAROT CALLS ME GOKU DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN STEAL MINE!! NO ONE! AND I MEAN NO ONE TAKES MY NAME!!!!!"  
  
Gohan moans, {I'm dead. I am so dead.}  
  
Kakarot however doesn't seem to take kindly of being ignored, "YOU MORONS!! I'M STILL HERE!!" Gohan and Vegeta turn back to Kakarot. He demands, "If your name's not Vegeta, then what is it?!"  
  
This gives Vegeta a chance to extract his revenge. "Yes, why don't you tell him your real name, hmmm?" He pushes Gohan onto his hands and knees in front of Kakarot. "Go on. Tell him," Vegeta says in his mocking tone. Gohan growls, "I liked you better when you thought you were my dad."  
  
Kakarot lifts Gohan's chin up with his foot, "Come on now. What's your name? The one you lied to me about this whole month. Or maybe you don't want it known. The only reason why you would lie is because you're ashamed of it."  
  
Vegeta smirks, "I couldn't have put it better myself."  
  
Gohan burns with anger and gets up quickly. He says quietly, "My name is Son Gohan."  
  
Kakarot stares at him, "What?! Excuse me, say that again. I don't think I heard it correctly."  
  
Gohan glares at him and says more proudly, "I am Son Gohan, son of Son Goku, and brother of Son Goten."  
  
Kakarot's jaw drops to the ground, and he gawks at Gohan. Meanwhile Vegeta is laughing his head off at Kakarot's reaction. Kakarot turns away his anger rising beyond any level it ever went before. Rising and rising. A split second before it's too late, Vegeta finds out he went too far. 


	47. Lost

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Goku can feel Kakarot's anger take hold on his body and grab hold the power to become super saiyan. To his amazement Goku sees the golden aura being drawn from his body, towards his window to the outside. This cannot be good.  
  
Goku grabs it with his hands and feels himself skidding across the floor. Goku yells, "NO! I WON'T LET YOU!" He takes a few steps back, further stretching the blob of light.  
  
Goku constantly reminds himself that giving up now would affect the fate of the entire world, and everyone is depending on him, for this at least. For Goku the struggles between blob and saiyan seems to go on for years.  
  
Will Goku win the struggle for control of the Super Saiyan power? Is the entire world doomed? Find out next time on Dragonball Z! No, no. Just kidding. Please don't hurt me!  
  
Suddenly Goku's feet slip, and he flies towards the window, being pulled by the blob towards the window. Just before it flies out, Goku's feet catch the sides of the window. The blob is already halfway out and Goku can see that Gohan and Vegeta already noticed.  
  
As the blob pulls further and further out, his feet are pulled further and further apart, causing him intense pain in his...uh...never mind, you get the idea.  
  
The golden aura gives a final lurch forward and slips from Goku's hands. Goku falls to the floor, but he quickly gets up to watch the world outside grow darker from the Super Saiyan power. He looks at himself and moans. He's super saiyan, and he can't even control it. Goku bangs on the window, "KAKAROT! NO! DON'T DO IT!" 


	48. First truth

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot feels...different...more powerful...And strong...yes, a lot stronger. He looks at himself and grins, "So Goku has control, eh?" Well, not anymore," he looks up at Vegeta and Gohan. "Oh yes, you WILL pay now. You will pay."  
  
Kakarot gets up, and Gohan and Vegeta subconsciously walk back away from him. They had seen Goku turn super saiyan millions of times, but this alternate version emanates waves of evil, surrounding him and everything around him.  
  
Kakarot swiftly points the palm of his hand at Vegeta, and Vegeta turns Super Saiyan and gets ready to counter the blast that is sure to come. Kakarot yells, "Mind Weave!"  
  
Goku yells, {NOOOOOOooooo!!!} And his voice fades away.  
  
And..... nothing happens..... The three fighters sweatdrop. Kakarot says, "Um...this is a little embarrassing. I'm not quite sure what's suppose to happen."  
  
Suddenly Vegeta falls to his knees, screaming in pain. Gohan yells, "Vegeta! What's the matter?!"  
  
Vegeta moans, "My...head...KAKAROT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"  
  
Kakarot cries victoriously, "YES! I knew SOMETHING was suppose to happen!"  
  
Vegeta stops screaming, but turns a ghastly whitish hue and falls to the ground. Gohan stares from Vegeta to Kakarot with horror.  
  
Gohan tries to shake Vegeta awake, but Vegeta merely stares up at the night sky with blank white eyes. Gohan demands, "What did you do to him?!"  
  
Kakarot smirks, "The same thing I will do to you." Kakarot points his palm at Gohan and yells, "Mind Weave!"  
  
Gohan too, falls to the ground, screaming in pain, but he doesn't get taken over as quickly as Vegeta. Kakarot sneers, "You think yourself a brave one, don't you? But your futile attempts to resist will only cause you more pain."  
  
Gohan "resists" for another half an hour, he too inevitably falls, collapsing to the ground along with Vegeta, with the same blank expression on his face. Kakarot walks over to them and nudges Gohan with his foot. The only way Kakarot could stand the guilt of what he had done to Gohan, was because he knew what he did to his Chibi Kakarot Jr., his own brother.  
  
Kakarot bends over Gohan's lifeless body and demands, "Why didn't you just tell me you are my son?" As if he's expecting an answer. And surprisingly he gets one.  
  
Gohan says in a flat voice, "I didn't want you to know I am half human."  
  
Kakarot staggers back, away from Gohan. He feels sick, very sick. Kakarot puts a hand to his head and thinks, {No, it can't be. If he's half-human and I'm...Goku's his father then, then that means... Oh god! It's not possible! It can't be!}  
  
Kakarot yells, "GOKU! HOW COULD YOU?! YOU CONTAMINATED MY BODY! I'LL BE IMPURE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"  
  
He turns to Gohan and snarls, "You got what you deserve, you half blood!" Then he smiles crookedly and begins to gloat, "Well Goku, how do you feel now that I have control of your Super Saiyan powers? How do you like seeing your son and you bestest friend in my complete mind control?" Goku doesn't answer. "Goku?! Do you hear me?!" Still no answer.  
  
Kakarot says thoughtfully, "Hmmm...He must have been overcome with shock. I bet he'll recover later...Maybe." He turns to Gohan and Vegeta, "Now I want you two to go over to...Prince Vegeta's house," he says with a sneer, "and stay there until I come and get you." Vegeta and Gohan both simultaneously stand up and fly away towards Vegeta's house.  
  
Kakarot smirks, "Their families will sure have a surprise in store for them." He turns and starts flying back to his base, but then he suddenly realizes, "Shit! I don't know where that traitor's house is! No matter. I'll make Goku tell me. With this new super saiyan power I shall overcome him easily!" He laughs evilly and begins to plan some eternal tortures for his victims. 


	49. The good news and the bad news

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Bulma sighs, looking down at her work. Although her voice had returned, she's still worried about her husband and son. They've only been missing for two days, which is typical for Vegeta, but he doesn't usually think he's Goku. And Trunks...In some strange, bizarre way he had to have something to do with Vegeta's state of mind.  
  
Suddenly she hears the intruder alarm go off, BREEE-BREEE-BREEE. She checks the security map and sees the front door is the violated area. Bulma grabs a shock gun and heads for the front door. She turns her head around the corner, and she drops her gun and screams. Gohan and Vegeta are sprawled on the floor, barely clinging to life.  
  
Two hours later, ChiChi, Goten, Trunks, Krillen, and Yamcha are gathered at Capsule Corps along with Bulma, anxiously waiting for the doctor to finish his check-up on Vegeta and Gohan.  
  
The doctor comes out and sighs, "I'm afraid I have some bad news and some good news."  
  
ChiChi demands, "What's the bad news?! What happened to my son?!"  
  
The doctor says, "Please Mrs. Son, try and calm down. The bad news is I have no idea what to diagnose them for. I've never seen a case quite like this before. The closest thing I could call it would be a coma."  
  
Bulma asks, "But what's the good news?"  
  
The doctor says brightly, "Well they aren't dead! Incurable, maybe, dead, no." Everyone glares down at him. The doctor chuckles nervously, "I better be packing up my things."  
  
Bulma demands, "Can't you do anything for them?"  
  
The doctor says, "I think the best thing you can do is just watch and wait. But if you'd like I'll come back tomorrow with some specialists."  
  
ChiChi says, "Oh yes, please do!"  
  
"All right. See you tomorrow then," the doctor says as he goes out the door.  
  
Krillen asks, "Uh...could you guys kinda fill us in? Yamcha and I don't believe that, 'getting hit by a car' thing as easily as that doctor did."  
  
"Well," ChiChi says, "the only thing I know is Vegeta came to our house thinking he was Goku."  
  
Bulma, Krillen, and Yamcha yell, "WHAT?!!"  
  
ChiChi says, "Don't ask me why. But then Trunks came over and told Goten to snap his fingers, and suddenly Vegeta thinks he's Vegeta again." Bulma stares spears and daggers at her son, who cowers under her glare. If looks could kill.  
  
ChiChi continues, "We told him that he thought he was Goku, but being the big lunkhead that he is, he didn't believe us. And he ended up blasting a giant hole in our house. Then he finds his clothes in Goku's closet for Kami knows what reason and..."  
  
Bulma yelps, "Wait a sec! If he wasn't wearing his clothes, what was he wearing?!"  
  
"He was wearing Goku's clothes." Krillen and Yamcha burst into laughter, but looks from Bulma and Trunks kill it instantly. ChiChi continues yet again, "As I was saying, and after that he flies off and Gohan follows him. I could barely stop Goten from going too."  
  
She brings out Goten from the corner of the room where he was sitting, trying to hide something behind him. Then the others notice what exactly is behind him.  
  
Trunks says, "Whoa! A tail! I didn't see that before!"  
  
ChiChi says, "You passed out before."  
  
Goten frowns, "It's not a tail. I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
ChiChi frowns, "You shouldn't be so embarrassed. Gohan got his back too. And it was Kakarot that did this to them. And I bet that Kakarot is the one that did this to Gohan and the ouji too."  
  
Krillen objects, "But Goku would never do this to them!"  
  
Trunks says, "You don't know Kakarot." The scar on his neck pricks as he says this.  
  
Goten agrees, "Yeah, Gohan always said my dad's like an angel. And Kakarot isn't nuthin' like an angel."  
  
Yamcha asks, "So what do we do?"  
  
Bulma sighs, "I guess we're just going to have to wait."  
  
Krillen says, "Well I'm not going to wait! I'll go look for Goku and try and talk some sense into him!"  
  
Yamcha yells, "Krillen! Don't you get it?! Goku is gone! There is no more Goku! Don't get yourself killed by trying to talk to a madman!"  
  
Krillen yells, "You're wrong! Goku is in there somewhere! He has to be!" He runs outside and Yamcha tries to go after him, but ChiChi stops him.  
  
She says, "Krillen's right. Goku is still alive. I know it." Yamcha starts to object, but Bulma shakes her head no and he shuts his mouth.  
  
Bulma says, "Look, you two should go upstairs and play. All right?"  
  
Trunks and Goten nod and run up to Trunks' room, passing the room with Vegeta and Gohan still laying inside. They watch their relatives for any signs of life and get nothing. Then they head up to the playroom.  
  
After an awkward silence, Trunks turns to Goten and studies Goten's tail. Goten twirls it nervously in his hands as Trunks gives it a "professional" inspection. Trunks asks, "Is that real?"  
  
Goten says, "Uh...I think so." But before he know it, Trunks grabs it and pulls. "YEEOW!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"  
  
Trunks says, "I was just checking if it was real or not."  
  
Goten asks, "Well is it?"  
  
Trunks frowns, "Goten, has anyone ever told you that you're stupid?"  
  
Goten pouts, "That's not nice, Trunks."  
  
Trunks changes the subject, "Hey, want to play a video game?" bring out his game console.  
  
Goten asks, "Is it right?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Is it the right time to do something like that? I mean with my brother and your dad hurt like-"  
  
Trunks sighs, "Guess you're right."  
  
"Trunks?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How come your dad thought he was my dad?"  
  
Trunks puts an arm across Goten's shoulders and says, "It's a long story." 


	50. A prince's will

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Far, far away, in his base in the mountains, Kakarot silently meditates and says, "Arise Vegeta. Arise and do my bidding."  
  
In the pitch black of night, ChiChi is sleeping next to Gohan's bed, supposedly watching her little boy. Suddenly Vegeta's eyes snap open and he gets out of bed, in a robotic-like manner. He says, "I am your servant, master Kakarot."  
  
Kakarot smirks, "Good. Now go into the hallway."  
  
Vegeta says, "Yes master," and starts going out the door.  
  
Kakarot yelps, "Watch out for the do-" But Vegeta walks right into the wooden obstacle. "-or. Okay, idiot. We'll play it your way. Open the door and walk out." Vegeta obeys, making every move as silently as he can.  
  
Kakarot says, "Now where is your son's room?"  
  
Vegeta answers, "Up the stairs, master."  
  
"Good servant. Just go to your son's room without tripping over anything." Vegeta obeys every command. As he rounds the corner he stops in front of Trunks' room, waiting for his next command.  
  
Kakarot demands, "Do I really have to tell you?"  
  
"Yes master."  
  
Kakarot groans, "Just blast the damn door down." Vegeta smiles and aims at the door, to only blast it into nothing. The explosion wakes up Trunks from his sleep, and he sees his father standing in the doorway.  
  
Trunks says excitedly, "Dad! You're awake!"  
  
Kakarot smiles evilly, "Now comes the good part. Restrain that freak of yours."  
  
Vegeta says, "Yes master." And steps into Trunks' room.  
  
Trunks asks, "D-Dad? Who're you talking to?" But suddenly Vegeta grabs him and puts him into a headlock. Trunks screams, "Dad?! What are you doing?!"  
  
Kakarot yells, "Now crush his skull! Kill him! Kill your son! Oh how sweet is vengeance! Kill your son as you have killed mine! Kill him!" Vegeta takes Trunks' head in between his hands, ready to do Kakarot's bidding.  
  
Trunks cries, "Dad, what are you doing? I'm your son, dammit! Why are you doing this to me?!"  
  
Kakarot says, "Cover his mouth so he can't scream." Vegeta pushes Trunks against the wall, covering Trunks' face with one hand and using the other to strangle him. Trunks makes futile attempts to escape from his father's hands, but he is much too strong, and Trunks can feel himself becoming dizzy, the room beginning to swirl around him.  
  
Suddenly Vegeta lets go of him, letting Trunks fall to the ground. Trunks groans and looks up at his father. Kakarot yells, "What are you doing?! Finish the job!"  
  
Vegeta clenches his fists and growls, "I will not kill my own son."  
  
Kakarot yells, "You will, if I have anything to say about it! DO IT! I COMMAND YOU TO KILL YOUR SON!"  
  
Vegeta's hands starts to reach for Trunks, who is too weakened to do anything. But Vegeta's will brings them away from his son's neck. Vegeta says quietly, "I will not kill my son."  
  
Trunks crawls over to Vegeta, "Father..."  
  
Kakarot says soothingly, "He's right there. You never liked him much anyway. How is he any different from all the millions that you have killed from before? It's just another insignificant life."  
  
Vegeta says in the same flat tone, "He is my son."  
  
Kakarot growls, "Then you shall suffer the consequences of disobedience." Vegeta begins to scream from pain, causing everyone in the house to wake up.  
  
Trunks yelps, "Dad?! What's the matter?!"  
  
Kakarot yells, "You insolent fool! I'll make you wish you were never born!"  
  
Vegeta's torment seems to become worse, and by that time Bulma and ChiChi locate the source of the screams. The two come into Trunks' room and to their horror they see Vegeta own his hands and knees, shuddering with pain. Bulma shrieks, "Oh my god! Vegeta!" And she hurries to her husband's aid.  
  
Vegeta growls, "Stupid woman! Stay away!" And he sends an energy wave pushing everyone away.  
  
That's when Goten comes into the room, yelling, "What's going on?! Who's screaming?!"  
  
Goten's voice stops Kakarot's dead, "Chibi Kakarot Jr.? Alive? But how?" Suddenly he feels the control over Vegeta being pulled away from him, not by Vegeta himself, but a third force. Kakarot yelps, "What the...Who...Goku! Goku, you're taking that traitor aren't you?! Give him back! He's mine!" No response. And with Kakarot unable to resist, Vegeta is taken over.  
  
Back at Capsule Corps Vegeta stops shaking and he quietly gets up. Trunks asks, "Dad? Are you okay?" Without a word Vegeta walks out the door, back downstairs into the room where Gohan is and takes his place back in the twin bed next to his, to fall back into his mode of unconsciousness. The rest up in Trunks' room can only wonder whether what they witnessed was a dream or reality. 


	51. He's baack

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
In a dark place somewhere, Vegeta wakes up from his unconsciousness. He groans and rubs his head, wondering where he is. Suddenly he remembers what Kakarot had done to him, what he was going to do to him. He gets up, but he feels weak and lightheaded, so he just lies back down again. He mutters out loud, "Where am I? I don't believe I've ever seen this place before."  
  
Meanwhile back in his room, Bulma who's keeping watch over him, hears the words, "Where am I? I don't believe I've ever seen this place before."  
  
Bulma gasps, "Oh my god! Vegeta! You're awake! Vegeta, honey. I'm right here." But Vegeta makes no response and continues to stare up at the ceiling as he always has from last night. Bulma yells out into the hallway, "Guys! Guys! Vegeta's talking! I think he's going to wake up!"  
  
Trunks is the first to run into the room, closely followed by the remaining Son's and Yamcha. Trunks demands, "What's going on?! Is he awake?!"  
  
Bulma says, "He seems to be getting close."  
  
Vegeta gathers his strength and gets up in his strange environment. Vegeta thinks, {I don't understand. One minute Kakarot is torturing me, now I'm in an abnormal black void in the middle of nowhere... What in the world happened?}  
  
Suddenly out of nowhere, a massive blob of light suddenly comes into view. As if it traveled from a different dimension. Vegeta eyes it curiously and slowly steps towards it. The blob turns and notices the little ouji watching it. Suddenly it flies straight at him.  
  
Vegeta yelps, "What the..." but the blob overpowers him and pins him to the ground. Vegeta tries to fight it, but it is too strong. Vegeta growls, "What...is...this thing?!"  
  
The others listen to Vegeta's words with alarm, and Bulma yells at her husband, "Vegeta! What's going on in there?! Tell us!"  
  
Vegeta feels an imminent danger coming from the blob and turns ssj in an attempt to get away from it, but he still can't break free. The blob hisses and leans even closer to Vegeta. He yells, "Get off me you paranormal freak!" But the blob pays no heed. Vegeta can feel an immense heat coming from the light and starts to perspire. As the blob closes in on him, Vegeta tries his hardest to fight, but it seems so futile.  
  
But...all of a sudden, Vegeta hears a familiar, "Ka...me...ha...me...HAAAA!!!!!" and a bluish energy attack knocks the blob off of Vegeta (and singes his clothes), and the blob disintegrates with an anguished, high-pitched shriek.  
  
Vegeta looks up in the direction of the beam and sees.... "Hi Vegeta! Long time no see!" It's Goku! But in Vegeta's mind?!  
  
Vegeta backs away from the larger saiyan, "Y-you! What are you doing here?!"  
  
ChiChi frowns, "Who in the world is he talking to?!"  
  
Goku says, "Well obviously, Veggie, I'm saving your body."  
  
"What the hell are you talking abou-"  
  
But he's cut off when Goku runs up to him and gives him a big jovial hug, "Oh Veggie! I've missed you so much!"  
  
Vegeta turns a deep angry red, "GET OFF ME YOU LOW-LEVEL! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO RESPECT YOUR PRINCE?! QUIT TOUCHING ME! YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN TO STOP DO YOU?! ALWAYS THE MOST INNAPROPRIATE PLACES!"  
  
The others outside of Vegeta's body have no idea what's going on, but his dialogue is a little suggestive. Actually it's VERY suggestive. Bulma says, "I feel a little lightheaded. I think I should go to bed now. Keep...keep me updated." And she retires to her room.  
  
However ChiChi grabs Vegeta by his shirt and screams in his face, "WHERE'S GOKU?! YOU SAID LOW-LEVEL! NOW TELL ME WHERE IS MY GO-CHAN! YOU TELL ME RIGHT NOW!" But Vegeta merely dangles limply in her grasp.  
  
Meanwhile back in Vegeta's mind, Goku finally lets go of Vegeta and says apologetically, "Sorry 'bout that. Staying alone for such a long time can really drive a person crazy!"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "Hmmph! It's too late for that. Now I demand to know what you're doing here! And where is here?! And what the hell was that thing?!"  
  
Goku says rather quickly, "Okay, I'll say the last first. That big blob WAS an undeveloped spirit and if it invaded your body, you would have lost complete control of it, and the spirit would have emerged in your body as a permanently amnesic Vegeta. Second, we are basically stuck in your mind until we can find a way out. And I'm in here because when Kakarot pulled that Mind Weave on you, he sent me along too. But I can't go over to Gohan's mind unless he's under my control. And you don't believe a thing I just told you, do you?"  
  
Vegeta stares at him, struck speechless. Then he shakes it off and says, "You talk as if Kakarot was a separate mind."  
  
"He IS a separate mind! Did you really think I would humiliate myself like that, "Yes sir" this and "Yes sir" that?! Yeah right!"  
  
Vegeta growls, "At least he showed me proper respect!"  
  
"Yeah, he sure did. He kept calling you Goku."  
  
"Shut up! Now I demand to know how you killed that spirit whatcha-makallit! Of course I could have overtaken it, but I want to know how you did it."  
  
Goku rolls his eyes, "It's because Spirit Forms are much stronger than regular bodies." (So Goku can kick Veggie's ass. But he could already do that anyway.)  
  
Vegeta laughs, "Ha! That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!"  
  
Goku pouts, "It's true!" But Vegeta just laughs even harder. Goku says, "Well if you don't believe me then...shoot me with your maximum power Final Flash! I won't dodge it. I won't even try to counter it."  
  
Vegeta chuckles, "You and your crazy ideas. I'd annihilate you."  
  
Goku yells, "Vegeta! I'm dead serious!"  
  
Vegeta growls, "Yeah, emphasis on the DEAD part."  
  
The others that are still listening to Vegeta, stare at him with shock and growing fear.  
  
Goku rolls his eyes and says, "Look, what other time will I ask you to do this? This is your only chance EVER."  
  
Vegeta rubs his chin thoughtfully, "Come to think of it...I've never had anyone ask me to kill him before. This could prove rather interesting. And besides, when you die, you'll only be sent back to the Otherworld where you're supposed to be." Then he narrows his eyes at Goku, "But why do you have no desire to live?"  
  
ChiChi screams at Vegeta, "DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY GOKU!"  
  
Goku says, "Just shoot me."  
  
Vegeta grins, "Fine then, prepare to die."  
  
ChiChi starts to strangle Vegeta, "I'LL KILL YOU, YOU MURDERER! I'LL KILL YOU!"  
  
Yamcha struggles to pulls ChiChi off of the subconscious ouji, "ChiChi! Don't! Goku's in there too!"  
  
Meanwhile Goten is shaking Trunks by his shirt, "Trunks! Ya hafta stop him! Ya hafta!"  
  
Trunks yells, "But I don't know how!"  
  
Back in Vegeta's mind, Vegeta turns ssj2 and aims at Goku. But then he notices Goku didn't take the similar form. Vegeta demands, "Aren't you even going to go ssj?"  
  
Goku says simply, "I don't need to."  
  
Vegeta eyes him uneasily. To his egotistical mind, this lowers Goku's chance of surviving to no chance at all. He shakes it off and aims at Goku again , "FINAL.....  
  
ChiChi screams, "GOKU! FIGHT HIM! FIGHT THAT LITTLE CREEP!"  
  
......FLASH!!!!!" A gigantic beam escapes from Vegeta's hands and flies straight at Goku. True to his word, Goku makes no attempt to block it in anyway, much to Vegeta's horror. Goku just closes his eyes and allows the beam to envelop him. A colossal explosion follows, blowing Vegeta away.  
  
After the mushroom cloud subsides, there is only smoke left. Vegeta groans and gets up, his eyes searching for the larger saiyan. He sees no sign of him... Vegeta lets out an enraged scream like one of a wounded animal, shocking everyone listening to him until they are struck dumb.  
  
Yamcha says confusedly, "What exactly just happened?"  
  
Vegeta yells, "YOU STUPID, FUCXING BAKAYARO! HOW DARE YOU DIE ON ME LIKE THAT?! YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO DODGE IT! I wouldn't have minded killing you in battle when it's honorable, BUT NOT IF YOU DON'T FIGHT BACK! NOW YOU MADE ME LOOK LIKE A FOOLISH COWARD!...I didn't want you to die...."  
  
ChiChi pales, "Oh my god....He...really did it...." Then she swoons and Yamcha catches her before she falls to the floor.  
  
Goten's eyes begin to well up with tears, "Daddy...why didn't you fight back?"  
  
Suddenly a voice behind Vegeta says adoringly, "Aww...Veggie... I didn't know you cared...."  
  
Vegeta turns around and freezes up when he sees his "long lost" companion standing right behind him, without a scratch on him.......However Goku's clothes weren't as lucky.  
  
Trunks frowns, "Why's my dad's face turning red like that?"  
  
Vegeta turns away from the butt naked Goku and suppresses the desire to look at his body, "Goku...."  
  
Goku says stunned, "You just called me Goku!"  
  
Vegeta growls, "What am I suppose to call you?! Kakarot?! JUST PUT SOME PANTS ON!"  
  
Now outside of Vegeta's mind, if Bulma and ChiChi haven't had already fainted, they would faint again. Bug time. Yamcha, himself, feels dizzy too, "Y'know guys, um....I'll just take ChiChi up to a spare bedroom and I might go to my house and come back tomorrow....or not." He goes out the door, but forgets to bring ChiChi along and goes into the living room, trying to get a different image in his head.  
  
Trunks, who was pale already, got even paler, "Oh my god! Our dad's are gay!"  
  
Goten gives him a puzzled look and says, "Yeah, my dad's really happy. I don't know about your dad though."  
  
"DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT GAY MEANS?!"  
  
Goten smiles, "Yup! It means really happy!"  
  
Trunks groans at his naive friend, "Goten, it means homosizzical."  
  
"What's homosexual?"  
  
"Homosizzical! Not homosexual! It means that uh... two guys really like each other."  
  
Goten says confusedly, "But we like each other."  
  
"Yeah...but we don't really, really, really, really, really like each other."  
  
"Does that mean we're not friends anymore?"  
  
Trunks yelps, "Of course we're friends! I just mean....oh nevermind. You'll never get it!"  
  
"Get what?"  
  
Trunks gets a headache. 


	52. Fusion gone wrong

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
In Vegeta's mind, Goku materializes clothes from Kami knows where and puts them on. Vegeta is still trying to figure out HOW Goku could possibly get hit with such a blast and not end up with a serious medical condition. Vegeta growls accusingly, "You used your Instant Transmission technique to escape my Final Flash, didn't you?"  
  
Goku yelps, "What?! Vegeta, you saw your blast surround me and you saw it explode. It wouldn't have done that if I wasn't there! Face it, your Final Flash didn't do a thing." He puts on his left boot and is about to grab the other one to put on.  
  
Vegeta grabs Goku's other boot and yells defiantly, "That's impossible! You can't possibly be that strong unless.....You've been taking steroids haven't you?! Ha! I've found your secret! I never knew you would stoop as low as that!"  
  
"WHAT?!! I HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY! AND GIVE ME MY BOOT BACK!"  
  
Vegeta holds the blue boot away and says, "Not until you admit that you've been taking steroids."  
  
"Vegeta! Don't act stupid! It's the spirit form!" Vegeta merely blows a raspberry at him. Goku angrily smacks Vegeta over the head and grabs his boot from his hands. Vegeta gets a huge lump on his head where Goku hit him, and he covers it up, trembling with pain.  
  
Goku's eyes widen, "Oh! Veggie! Are you okay?!"  
  
Vegeta sniffles, "Waah! That hurt! Why did you hit me?!"  
  
Goku says apologetically, "Oh little Veggie! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard! It's the Spirit Form! I don't know my own strength! I'm so ashamed. Picking on such a weak, defenseless little guy like you."  
  
Vegeta's eye twitches and an extremely large stress mark appears on his forehead, "WHO ARE YOU CALLING WEAK?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I CAN BEAT YOU INTO A PULP!"  
  
Goku says, "No, you can't. Spirit Form. Remember?"  
  
The smaller saiyan growls, "I see. Well...I don't know how you did it, but I must achieve this Spirit Form!"  
  
Goku falls over anime style. "VEGETA!"  
  
Vegeta says defensively, "What?!"  
  
"Spirit Form is not some level you can achieve like ssj! It's compensation for not being in control of your body! So unless you want to give your body over to me or something, then there's no way you're gonna get it!"  
  
Vegeta has a sudden vision of Goku in his body and shivers, "Okay. I give. But it's not fair! I have the blood of a Saiyan Prince! I should be able to defeat a low-level peasant like you!"  
  
Goku raises an eyebrow, "If I'm a low-level, and you can't even defeat me, then what does that make you?"  
  
The ouji narrows his eyes, "Exactly what are you insinuating?"  
  
Goku sighs, "Look I just want to figure out how to get back to my body." He thinks for a long time, at such a length that Vegeta thinks his usually brainless companion's head is going to explode. Finally Goku gets an idea, "Hey Vegeta..."  
  
Vegeta demands, "What do you want?"  
  
Goku seems a little reluctant to say it, but then he blurts out, "Can I borrow your body?"  
  
"WHAT?!!!"  
  
Goku pleads desperately, "PUH-LEASE! It'll only be a little while! I SWEAR! I just wanna meet Kakarot face to face!"  
  
Vegeta demands, "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! Besides, the only way you'll get control of my body is if I'm there with you."  
  
Goku yells, "But that's impossible! How can we BOTH have control of-....." His eyes suddenly widen with excitement as he gets another idea.  
  
Vegeta's eyes also widen, but with fear, "NO! NO, NOT THAT! I'M NEVER DOING THAT WITH YOU EVER AGAIN!"  
  
Goku whines, "Please Veggie!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Pretty please!"  
  
"I TOLD YOU NEVER!"  
  
"Pretty please with sugar on top?!"  
  
"I'M NEVER EVER GOING TO FUSE WITH YOU EVER AGAIN!"  
  
Vegeta says, "I can't believe I'm fusing with you again," now in the position for the fusion dance.  
  
Goku says, "Come on! It's only for half an hour!"  
  
Vegeta mutters grudgingly, "What could you possibly do in half an hour anyway?"  
  
Goku says, "Enough. Now let's do this!"  
  
Vegeta groans, "I don't know why I even bother."  
  
After the fusion dance is performed, Vegeta and Goku merge together and in a flash of light, their fusioned form appears, Gogeta. Gogeta looks around his environment and frowns, "What the... Where's the villain I'm suppose to defeat?"  
  
Then he remembers what he's really suppose to be doing, "Oh yeah! The dual control thing! Now how am I supposed to do that again? Oh yeah, walk 50 steps and I'm out. Well, that's simple enough."  
  
He follows the instructions and feels himself being transported to a different area like he's supposed to be. Suddenly he bumps his head really, really hard, "Ow! Jeez! What is that?!"  
  
Gogeta looks up and to his amazement he sees a barrier made up of swirling light, lining the whole entire ceiling. He stares at in awe, trying to figure out what it is. Goku's side seems to be working and Gogeta realizes what the barrier really is. He narrows his eyes and swears, "That stupid Kakarot! He still has partial mind control on Vegeta's body! I'm gonna have to get through this somehow."  
  
He tries to blast it, but that just adds to the barrier. Then he tries just kicking and punching it, which comes to no avail. Finally Gogeta just tries sticking his hand in. And surprisingly it works. Gogeta smirks and flies back a little and charges straight at the light, allowing it to envelop him.  
  
But then to his disbelief he actually gets stuck in it. Gogeta sweatdrops, "How am I suppose to get out of this stuff?" He thinks, {Wait a minute...If it's mind control, then obviously I should fight it with my mind!}  
  
Again he sweatdrops, {Wait a sec. I'm made for fighting! Not thinking!} He yells out into nowhere, "WHAT KIND OF JOB DID YOU TWO GET ME INTO?!"  
  
No answer, obviously. Gogeta sighs and starts to concentrate. The light separates just slightly, but not enough. He soon finds out that one mind is not enough, "Aargh! I can't do this by myself! I need help!"  
  
All of a sudden, Gogeta feels two ki's alongside of him. He looks around him in confusion, only to become more confused when he sees Goku and Vegeta, fighting the mind control.  
  
Gogeta yelps, "What the hell! It isn't half an hour ye-" And he disappears in a flash of light. Goku and Vegeta continue to unknowingly fight the barrier along side each other, and together they break free. 


	53. Don't go there

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Back in the real world... Goten yells excitedly down the stairs, "HEY GUYS! GET UP HERE!"  
  
Trunks hops up next to him and yells, "DAD'S WAKIN' UP!"  
  
Yamcha and ChiChi hurry up the stairs, but they nearly get run over by Bulma bounding up the stairs. Bulma gets up to her son and demands, "Trunks, is he really waking up?! Tell me! Tell me!"  
  
Trunks yelps, "Jeez! Mom, control yourself! Why don't you look for yourself?!"  
  
Bulma nods, "Good idea," and knocks over Goten on the way into the patients' room. Everyone else sweatdrops.  
  
Yamcha says, "Wow, she seems to be excited."  
  
Trunks frowns, "I've never seen her this bad before."  
  
Goten moans, "Owee," and rubs the bruise on his elbow.  
  
Bulma waits next to Vegeta's bedside, bubbling with anxiety. Vegeta stirs and groans. Bulma yells into the hall, "Come on you guys! He's getting up!" Vegeta finally opens his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. Bulma practically jumps on him, "Oh Vegeta! I was so worried about you! My poor, poor dear! You must have been through so much!"  
  
Vegeta yelps, "ACK! GET OFF ME!" And he scrambles out of Bulma's grasp. Vegeta looks around and sees that ChiChi, Yamcha, Trunks, and Goten are there too.  
  
Then he suddenly straitens up and smiles. Then he says with a higher pitched voice, "Hi guys!" Everyone stares at him with shock.  
  
Trunks says, "Wait a minute...Goku?! Is that you?!"  
  
Then Vegeta stops smiling and yells, "GOKU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!"  
  
ChiChi advances on Vegeta and demands, "Where's Goku?! Tell me right now!"  
  
Vegeta's face changes again, "I'm right here ChiChi." ChiChi stares at him and backs away.  
  
Yamcha hisses to Bulma, "I think Vegeta's gone crazy."  
  
Vegeta yells, "I HEARD THAT!"  
  
Yamcha yelps fearfully, "Sorry Vegeta!"  
  
Vegeta growls menacingly, "You better be. Goku! You still haven't answered me!"  
  
Goku takes over again and exclaims, "I don't know! We were supposed to come back as Gogeta! Something must have happened with the fusion."  
  
Vegeta yells, "I KNEW I SHOULDN'T DONE THAT FUSION! YOU ALWAYS MANAGE TO SCREW UP SOMETHING!"  
  
Bulma pipes up, "Does that mean Goku and Vegeta are both in Vegeta's body?!"  
  
"Obviously onna! I thought you would have figured that out by now!"  
  
Bulma yells, "Why you ingrate! I can't believe I was worried about you!"  
  
She is about to smack Vegeta, but Goku yelps, "ACK! Don't hit me!"  
  
Bulma growls, taking her hand back, "Grrgh! You're lucky Goku is in there with you!"  
  
Vegeta demands, "YOU CALL THIS LUCKY?!"  
  
ChiChi asks Bulma, "So does this mean we'll have to share them?"  
  
Both of the saiyans yelp, "WHAT?!"  
  
Bulma conveniently pulls out a time chart, "All right. How about I take them Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. You can take him Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays."  
  
ChiChi frowns, "No, Fridays aren't good for me. Better switch it. And we can alternate on Sundays."  
  
Bulma shakes hands with ChiChi, "It's a deal." Everyone stares at the two ladies with total disbelief.  
  
Suddenly Krillen rushes into the room, "Everybody! Quick! Kakarot just went on a killing spree! We need to stop him! I tried to stop him, but he just blasted me." He sees Vegeta and says, "Oh good, you're awake. We really need you on this one."  
  
ChiChi adds glumly, "Goku's here too."  
  
Krillen yelps, "What?! I just left him!"  
  
Goku says, "Krillen, I'm right here." Krillen looks around confusedly, but can't see the source of the voice. Goku calls again, "I'm with Vegeta!"  
  
This time Krillen turns and sees it's "Vegeta" talking. He narrows his eyes, "Very funny, Vegeta. Play tricks on me. I don't care." Yamcha hastily signals to Krillen that it's not a trick.  
  
Krillen stares at Vegeta, "It's...not...a trick?"  
  
Vegeta growls, looking away, "Unfortunately no."  
  
Goku says really fast, "I ended up sharing Vegeta's body with him because I got sent over to him when Kakarot put mind control on him and we fuse together so we could share control, but something went wrong happened in the mind control barrier and here we are. And why are you looking at us like that?"  
  
Krillen says in awe, "I've never seen Vegeta's mouth move so fast!" Vegeta and Goku sweatdrop.  
  
Krillen cross-examines Goku in Vegeta's body, but the already peeved prince gets sick of it and shoves Krillen away, "QUIT STARING AT ME, FOOL!"  
  
Krillen says, "Oh yeah, Vegeta's in there too. Sorry 'bout that."  
  
"You better be."  
  
Krillen says, "Boy Goku, just your luck to get stuck in the body of a short grouch."  
  
Vegeta demands, "WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT, SHORTY!"  
  
Krillen says defiantly, "Well at least I don't have a bad case of hemorrhoids."  
  
Goku sweatdrops, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."  
  
Vegeta yells, "WHY YOU LITTLE RUNT! YOU'LL REGRET EVER SAYING THAT!" He attempts to attack Krillen, but his right half won't move. Vegeta yells, "Damn you Goku! Why did you have to get my better half?!"  
  
"I dunno, just lucky I guess. Maybe it's because I'm stronger than you."  
  
"YOU ARE NOT, YOU CHEATER!"  
  
"Cheater?! Vegeta! I don't have control of my body! You call this Spirit Form cheating?!"  
  
"YES, I DO!" Everyone watches the grudge match continue with "Help me Kami" looks on his or her faces.  
  
Then one of the more nosy neighbors, Ms. Baker, passes by the house and looks into the living room window to see what the commotion is about. She peeks in and sees a short, little man arguing with himself, while the others are just standing around and watching.  
  
Ms. Baker shakes her head in disapproval, "Those crazy trillionaires. Always getting high and having wild parties." She sneaks off, still shaking her head.  
  
Krillen finally says, "Uh guys? Kakarot on rampage. Need to save humanity...Remember?"  
  
Vegeta yells, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT HUMANITY! I HAVE MY PRIDE TO DEFEND!"  
  
Everyone in the room, including Goku, yells, "VEGETA! SHUT UP!" 


	54. Feeling the discodisco fever!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Meanwhile on Kami's lookout, Piccolo runs to the edge of the palace, trying to look for a way to escape, "Oh no. Where to run? Where to run?"  
  
Glancing down at Earth, Piccolo sees Kakarot going on a killing spree. His eyes widen with disbelief, "Goku?! What is he doing?!" But then he sees Kakarot annihilate hundreds of people with one blast, and his expression grows grim, "I have to stop him."  
  
He starts flying down towards Earth, but a voice stops him, "PICCOLO! WHERE ARE YOU GOING! WE WERE SUPPOSE TO HAVE A RETRO DANCE!" Dende comes out of the palace wearing a white disco suit, dragging Mr. Popo in a similar green suit along with him.  
  
Mr. Popo looks down at his flashy, new attire, "Mr. Popo not like this at all. Mr. Popo thinks this makes his butt look big."  
  
Piccolo says nervously, "Sorry Dende! Maybe later! I have to save the world! Bye!" And he flies down to Earth at light speed.  
  
Dende stomps his foot in annoyance, "Oh phooey! This always happens every time I feel my groove comin' on! Oh well, Mr. Popo! Let's dance!"  
  
Mr. Popo frowns, "Mr. Popo thinks he's going to have a very long day." 


	55. Hypnotismnever trust it4

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Vegeta finishes yelling at his body-sharing escort and cracks his knuckles, ready to fight Kakarot. The ouji growls, "All right. Let's go. I'M GOING TO PERSONALLY KILL FOR DARING TO TURN ME INTO A FREAK SHOW!"  
  
Goku objects, "But Veggie, he didn't know he sent me over to you. Besides, I need my body back!"  
  
"Point taken. I'LL TORTURE HIM INSTEAD! MUAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Everyone sweatdrops.  
  
Goku asks, "Why do I have the feeling you didn't get what I just said?"  
  
Vegeta ignores him and declares, "Now let's go beat that Kakarot into a pulp!" Vegeta tries going out the door, but his right half won't move. "What is it now?!"  
  
Goku says, "I'm not going to fight unless I have MY clothes on!" Everyone falls over anime style, including Vegeta. Goku yells, "You didn't have to drag me down with you!"  
  
Vegeta demands, "WHY DO YOU NEED YOUR CLOTHES?!"  
  
"I'M SICK OF SPANDEX!"  
  
Vegeta yells, "Well you're not going to get it! Do you hear me?! NEVER!"  
  
Gohan smirks, "You didn't have a problem with it the first time."  
  
The small saiyan demands, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING?! WHAT FIRST TIME?!"  
  
Goku nods in agreement, "Yeah, I saw you stole my clothes when I was in Kakarot's body. And you hugged Gohan too," he scratches Vegeta's head in confusion, "I still can't figure out what that was about though."  
  
Vegeta yells, "Stop using my body to reflect your stupid, baka expressions!"  
  
Trunks says, "Actually I accidentally hypnotized Dad to make him think he was Goku." Everyone turns to stare at him and Trunks realizes too late that blabbing about it was not such a good idea.  
  
Vegeta screams, "YOU DID WHAT TO ME?! WHY YOU LITTLE BRAT! YOU ARE SO DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME! I'LL TAKE THAT LITTLE STUPID HEAD OF YOURS AND SHOVE IT UP- "  
  
Bulma yells sharply, "VEGETA!"  
  
Goku says, "Wait a sec. Trunks, how do you get Vegeta to think he's me?"  
  
Trunks says nervously, looking at the livid expression on his father's face, "Bang two metal things together. You stop it by snapping your fingers."  
  
Vegeta's eyes widen as he realizes what Goku is up to, "Don't you DARE even think about it! You're NOT going to humiliate ME in front of Kakarot! NO WAY!"  
  
Trunks and Goten grin evilly at each other and run towards the kitchen to get pans. Vegeta pounces for them, but Goku trips himself, resulting in both of them falling to the ground and letting the two chibi's out of the angry ouji's grasp. Vegeta yells, "Backstabber!"  
  
The two return with pot covers, but before they can bang them together, Vegeta covers up his ears. Goku gains control of the right hand and pulls the left one down easily. But then Vegeta starts singing, "I can't hear you! I can't hear you! La-lala-lala!"  
  
The others sweatdrop and Goku grimaces in pain. He yells, "God Veggie! I didn't know you're such a terrible singer!"  
  
Vegeta yells, enraged, "WHY YOU-" And the demonic duo see their chance to bang the pots. CLAAANG!  
  
Suddenly Vegeta falls down to his knees, screaming in pain. He pulls his head down to the floor, covering his face and stifling his cries. Trunks and Goten drop the pots in surprise. And everyone looks at Vegeta with alarm. Bulma demands, "Trunks! Is that suppose to happen?!"  
  
Trunks says helplessly, "I don't kno-" His terror is interrupted by another anguished scream, and they turn to see Vegeta's body is glowing yellow. Without warning it grows bigger, earning terrified shrieks from the group.  
  
His whole body changes, it becomes more muscular, all the proportions of the limbs changing. Finally his hair flattens out and parts in different directions. The changes stop and Vegeta's body stops glowing. He lies on the ground in the same position, quivering with pain and groaning. His voice is different too, a higher pitch.  
  
ChiChi cautiously walks up to the body, "Go-Chan? Little ouji? Are you all right?" He doesn't respond, but he starts to get up. When everyone sees his face, they all give a frightened gasp.  
  
Krillen yelps, "Oh my Kami! Goku?!"  
  
The exact replica of Goku looks at everyone in confusion, "What are you guys looking at?"  
  
Trunks and Goten get over the initial shock and both say excitedly, "WOW! That is SO cool! Just like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!"  
  
Bulma stares at Goku, absolutely speechless. She manages to say weakly, "My...V-Chan?...My V-Chan... disappeared..." And then she swoons and falls to the ground. This time Yamcha doesn't catch her. He's too busy staring at Goku along with everyone else.  
  
Goku thinks they're staring at something behind him so he looks too, but he doesn't see anything. He turns back to the group and asks again, "What's the matter with you guys? Why're you looking at us like that?"  
  
ChiChi jumps up to him and begins hugging him. She cries with tear-filled eyes, "Oh Goku! I missed you so much!"  
  
Goku sweatdrops, "But I didn't leave." Then he notices the size difference between him and ChiChi, "Hey ChiChi? Did you shrink?" Everyone falls over anime style.  
  
ChiChi yells, "GOKU! I DIDN'T SHRINK! YOU GREW!"  
  
She points to the mirror in the entranceway and Goku cautiously walks over to it. He peers into the mirror and sees that it reflects the his own regular body. Goku yells, "AACK! WHAT HAPPENED?!"  
  
Krillen says, "That's exactly what we'd like to know."  
  
Goku grabs his head and moans, "I don't understand! I thought that Veggie was suppose to think he's me! Not become me!"  
  
ChiChi says, "Look, don't think about it. You'll give yourself a headache."  
  
Goku yelps, "Wait! Where is Veggie! Veg- I mean Goku! Are you there?!" He gets no answer. Goku begins to shake with anxiety, "Oooh, what have I done? What have I done?! I killed Veggie!"  
  
He turns to Trunks and pleads, "This is reversible, right?! It has to be! We have to get Veggie back!"  
  
Trunks pales, "Uh, I think it is....I hope so....I really, really HOPE so!"  
  
Goku goes back to moaning, guilt clawing at him, "I can't believe it! Veggie didn't deserve this! He didn't want to do this at all! I should have listened to him! Then he'd still be here! OH KAMI! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"  
  
ChiChi shushes him before Goku goes into hysterics, "Go-Chan! Honey...It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what was going to happen. Poor baby, it's not your fault....And besides, no one really liked him anyway."  
  
Goku yells in disbelief, "CHICHI!"  
  
Yamcha says, "Look, we don't have time to worry about this. We need to stop Kakarot. Remember?"  
  
Goku sniffles, "Yeah...But I gotta do one thing before we go."  
  
Krillen asks, "What is it, Goku?"  
  
Goku winces, "I gotta get into my own clothes. Veggie's spandex is too small, and it's riding up my ass!"  
  
Everyone falls over anime style and yells, "GOKU!" 


	56. From bad to even worse

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Kakarot flies into the center of town, lands in the middle of the street and waits. His intermission isn't long. He hears loud clunky machines working their way over to his position, and he sees hundreds of soldiers and military tanks that work around the destroyed buildings to surround Kakarot.  
  
One officer pops up from a tank and carrying a megaphone, he yells over at Kakarot, "PUT YOUR HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD AND SURRENDER OR ELSE WE WILL BE FORCED TO FIRE!"  
  
Kakarot just laughs his head off, "This is the best of Earth's defenses?!"  
  
One soldier in the same tank as the officer says, "I don't think he's surrendering, sir."  
  
The officer blares at him through the megaphone, "SHUT UP SOLDIER! I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!" He turns back to Kakarot and orders, "NOW EVIL, ALIEN PERSON! I GIVE YOU THREE SECONDS TO SURRENDER OR WE'LL FIRE! ONE...." Kakarot raises his two hands and stops, aiming in front of him.  
  
The soldier hisses, "Sir? What is he doing?"  
  
The officer ignores him and yells, "TWO...." The palms of Kakarot's hands begins to give off a bluish glow.  
  
"THREE!" And right on cue Kakarot fires, destroying all the tanks and soldiers in front of him. The officer stares in horror, but regains his composure and yells at the remaining troops, "FIRE AT WILL! FIRE AT WILL! THAT MONSTER MUST BE DETROYED!" The soldiers duck away, behind the tanks, which aim and fire their machine guns at the enemy.  
  
Kakarot dodges them all and the bullets rivet into the buildings behind him. Kakarot yells, "SAIYAN RAGE!" And the beam destroys hundreds of tanks, also reducing soldiers to ashes.  
  
A stray tank fires a huge shell right at Kakarot, sure of its aim. Kakarot turns and sees the shell coming straight at him with not enough time to dodge it. The soldiers seem sure of his doom, but to their horror, Kakarot grabs the shell in midair. He bounces it in one hand and smirks, "This the best you got?"  
  
Several men yell, "What the hell IS that THING!" Kakarot takes up the shell and aims it at the tank that fired it at him. The soldiers in the tank yell, "RUN! HE'S GOING TO SHOOT!" They all escape from the tank, just as Kakarot throws the shell inside it. The tank explodes, causing a chain reaction that destroys all the other tanks around it, killing hundreds of people.  
  
After that's done, the scene looks devastating. Tall skyscrapers are reduced to rubble, the streets torn up into pieces. Skeletons and the bodies of dead men, littering the ground. Mass amounts of blood, draining into the sewers.  
  
A small group of survivors huddle together, hidden away from Kakarot as he picks off the remaining tanks. One of them is the commanding officer. One of the soldiers whimper, "Sir, will he find us?"  
  
The officer hisses, "Hush up! Don't let him hear you!"  
  
Suddenly, as if in their nightmares, a figure walks through the flames, over to the soldiers' sanctuary. They shiver in fear despite the extreme temperature around them. Kakarot stops in front of them, and an evil grin stretches across his face.  
  
He spots the officer and says, "Well, well, well. What do we have here? The mere mortal who dared to order me around. I have half a mind to teach you a lesson." He picks up the officer by the collar and demands, "How many children do you have?"  
  
The officer says meekly, "Two. Both girls. One's seven and the other's four. Please sir. You have to let me go! They don't have a mother. If I'm gone they won't have anybody!"  
  
Kakarot says sympathetically, "You don't have to worry about them..."  
  
The officer's eyes widen and he bows his head several times gratefully, "Oh thank you! Thank you so much!"  
  
Kakarot places his hand on the man's chest, 'They'll be joining you soon enough."  
  
The officer looks at him in confusion, "Wha-what?" Then Kakarot blasts a hole right through the officer, who screams in agony, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!" He dies with his face contorted in horror, frozen that way forever.  
  
Kakarot throws him on the ground and kicks him away as if he was a piece of trash. Kakarot turns to the other soldiers and they cringe under his sight. Kakarot says, "Now hear this, you human scum! Don't try to resist me! Know that I, Kakarot, am merely the instrument of this miserable mudball's end! It is your DESTINY to die by my hands! To try and stop me, is only speeding your deaths. If you desire to live any longer then don't tempt fate. Go home, tell your friends, your families. Make these last weeks of your life worthwhile. But don't forget that you will all inevitably...DIE!" Kakarot yelled so loud several men peed in their pants.  
  
Disgusted by the smell, Kakarot kills the innocent offenders. Then he orders to the remaining survivors, "Now leave my sight before I change my mind and kill you too!"  
  
All the soldiers scurry away like rats screaming, "Let's get out of here!" "It's the apocalypse!" "We're all gonna die!" Kakarot smirks and blasts the slower soldiers, relishing the smell of death. He looks at the destruction around him and laughs and laughs and laughs.  
  
Suddenly his scouter beeps up, revealing a large energy source above him. Kakarot looks up and sees a nameck above him. Kakarot frowns, "What's this? A nameck? On Earth?"  
  
Piccolo looks around the center, horror stricken by the devastation Kakarot has caused. He yells, "Goku! What's the matter with you?! How could you do something like this?!"  
  
Kakarot eyes him curiously, "Goku huh? I'm sorry, but you seem to be confusing me with someone else." He grins and starts to walk away.  
  
Piccolo yells, "COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" But Kakarot keeps on walking. Piccolo lands right in front of him, blocking his way.  
  
Kakarot narrows his eyes and growls, "Get out of my way, Nameck."  
  
"Oh, so you're too important to remember my name?"  
  
Kakarot grins, "Possibly," but his expression grows grim, "but I don't even know what it is."  
  
Piccolo slowly comprehends this and asks, "Who are you? WHAT are you?"  
  
Kakarot smirks and leans on a piece of rubble, "Well you could say...I'm a relative of your Goku."  
  
Piccolo growls, "I'm asking for your name. Now tell me what it is!"  
  
Kakarot shakes his finger in front of the green alien, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Touchy are we?"  
  
"Don't stray from the subject! What is you name?!"  
  
Kakarot says, "Straight to the point person. I like that. Very well, if you wish to know, my name is Kakarot, son of Bardock, brother to Raditz and Turles, and unfortunately the other half of that Goku of yours."  
  
Piccolo narrows his eyes, "What do you mean 'the other half?' And what have you done with Goku?!"  
  
Kakarot wrinkles his nose in disgust, "Nameck, you talk to much." Kakarot waves his hand in a nonchalant manner, "Now buzz off. I have some other business to settle on this planet, which should be no concern of yours. Now will you get out of my way?"  
  
Piccolo says bluntly, "No."  
  
Kakarot burns red with anger, "You ignorant fool! Don't you know who I am?! Didn't you see what I did to this city?! I can kill you with both my hands tied behind my back! Get out of my way!" Piccolo still stands firmly there. "If you don't move, I'll cut you down to your knees!" No response.  
  
Kakarot raises his arm over his head and yells, "Fine! You asked for it!" He swings his arm down at such a speed Piccolo has never seen before.  
  
Piccolo counters it, only to counter air. Kakarot didn't attack yet. Piccolo looks at Kakarot to see that he had turned a ghastly whitish hue, staring at something behind Piccolo. Piccolo looks behind him and smirks, {I should have known.}  
  
Goku waves, "Hi Piccolo! Looks like we got here just in time." The rest of the gang land around him. (With the exception of Vegeta of course.)  
  
Kakarot backs away from Goku, a look of definite fear on his face, "Y-YOU! What are you doing HERE?! How is this possible? No, you're not real. You're suppose to be gone! Driven to grief by the mind control I have over your son! You can't possibly be real! You can't exist!"  
  
Goku advances onto Kakarot, who drops to the ground covering his head, moaning pitifully, "Don't come any closer! Get away from me! Aaah!"  
  
Goku leans up close to Kakarot and spat in his face, "Coward." He turns back to the other Z-fighters, "Looks like we wasted all our time for nothing. Kakarot's too scared to fight." Unbeknown to him, Kakarot stands up behind him, his face in the shadows and his eyes glowing red.  
  
Krillen yells, "Goku! Watch out!" Goku quickly turns around and sees no one is there. Suddenly Goku feels like he's been stabbed in the back and screams out in pain.  
  
Kakarot takes his bloody hand out of Goku's back and hisses, "You gullible, trusting fool. One of the first lessons of survival is to never turn your back on a desperate tiger." Then he digs fingers into Goku's neck. "AAAAAAAH!!" Blood seeps through Kakarot's fingers. A giant, blue ball surrounds the two saiyans and hovers in the air. No one can see the two anymore, but they can hear Goku screaming inside.  
  
Goten yells, "Daddy! No!" Krillen growls and flies straight at the ball, intent on getting his best friend out of there. But as soon as he makes contact with it, he gets electrocuted and falls back to the ground.  
  
Yamcha runs over to him, "Krillen! Are you okay?!"  
  
Krillen groans, getting up and rubbing his head, "Yeah. I'll be fine. But don't worry about me, worry about Goku." His statement is ended with another scream of pain. 


	57. The return of Chibi Kakarot Jr

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Krillen is practically fried from trying to get in the ball so much. Everyone else cringes with guilt every time Goku screams. Tien says, "Come on guys! Let's try to blast it all together!"  
  
Piccolo growls, "We tried that 20 times already. There's nothing we can do."  
  
Yamcha clenches his fists, shaking slightly with anger, "We can't just do nothing. We can't just leave Goku like-" He is interrupted by another cry of pain.  
  
Finally Goten can't take it anymore. He rises with tears in his eyes, "I want to try to get in this time, Krillen! Let me try!"  
  
Krillen frowns, "No way, Goten. I know how much this hurts, but you can't do anything."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts. You're not trying to go in there!" Goku screams again and everyone cringes.  
  
Determined, Goten runs up to the ball and yells, "Kakarot! It's me! Chibi Kakarot Jr.! Remember me?! Please, Kakarot! Please don't hurt my dad anymore!" He doesn't get a response, so he continues, "Kakarot! If you don't hurt my dad anymore I'll...I'll...I'll live with you voluntarily for the rest of my life!"  
  
Krillen and Trunks yell simultaneously, "Goten! Are you crazy?! Don't give yourself up like that!" "You don't need to do that. We'll find another way!"  
  
But Goten shakes his head, "No. We won't be quick enough. He could kill my dad...and Vegeta too. This is the best way."  
  
Piccolo says solemnly, "He's right."  
  
Trunks turns on him and yells, enraged, "Shut up! You're just saying that because he's not your friend!"  
  
Suddenly Kakarot responds, "Chibi Kakarot Jr...The deal is set." The ball disappears and Goku falls to the ground, Kakarot flying above him. Goku has wounds and cuts all over him and seems to be suffering from excessive bleeding. They all grimace at the sight of him.  
  
Kakarot smirks, "You made that deal just in time. If I had sucked at his energy level any longer, I think he would have died."  
  
Yamcha growls, "You monster."  
  
Krillen demands, "What did you do to him?!"  
  
Their adversary shrugs in a nonchalant manner, "I merely absorbed his excess strength and power acquired from his "Spirit Form." I really have to thank him though. Thanks to him I now have all the power I need, not only to destroy Earth, but also to overcome Frieza and rule the entire galaxy! MUAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!"  
  
Everyone sweatdrops. Krillen wonders, {Doesn't he know Frieza's dead?}  
  
Then Goku begins to speak, his voice so soft everyone has to strain to hear it, "Kakarot. You psychotic bastard. You have no right to destroy Earth. You're a pathetic loser and a coward."  
  
Kakarot turns red with anger, but then he calms down and smiles, "Look who's talking now. Just look at yourself. This is where all your morals and righteousness have gotten you. That's too bad, Goku. We could have made such a great team."  
  
Goku stares at him in disbelief, "You NEVER asked me to be on your team!"  
  
Kakarot says, "Suuure I didn't. Oh well, come along Chibi Kakarot Jr. We have work to do." He picks up Goten under his arm and starts to fly off with him.  
  
Goku says, confused, "Goten? Goten! No! What are you doing?!"  
  
Goten cries, "I'm sorry, Dad."  
  
Krillen, Yamcha, and Tien can't take it. And they fly after him. Trunks yells, "Wait! I'm coming too!" He starts flying, but gets pulled back by Piccolo. "Hey Piccolo! What's the big idea! I wanna get Goten back!"  
  
Yamcha yells, "You give Goten back right now!" They fire several ki blasts at him, but every attack is futile.  
  
However Kakarot does get really annoyed, "How dare you! Saiyan Rage!" He fires his favorite attack, but unlike before the attack is huge, powered by the energy Kakarot stole from Goku. It comes onto the three fighters in a flash and before they can react, they are blasted into charred bits.  
  
Everyone screams, "NOOOOOOOOOO-*gasp-pant*- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" Including Kakarot.  
  
Then he thinks, {Wait a sec. Why am I screaming?}  
  
Then Goten turns ssj and screams, "You said you weren't going to hurt anybody!"  
  
Kakarot says, "Nooooo. I said I wouldn't hurt your father. And I'm your father, so of course I wouldn't hurt myself. I never agreed about anyone else."  
  
Goten continues to scream and pound, "LET ME GO, YOU BIG LIAR!"  
  
Kakarot frowns, "I'm not a liar!"  
  
"LIAR-LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!" Kakarot gets sick of it and covers Goten's mouth. "MMMPH!!"  
  
Goku yells, "Goten!" And he tries to get up, only to find he's too weak to even stand. Trunks struggles against Piccolo's hold, but it comes to no avail. Goku demands, "Piccolo! What are you doing?!"  
  
Piccolo says, "It's no use to go after them. We are powerless against Kakarot." So they just watch them fly away. 


	58. WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
ChiChi and Bulma stay in Capsule Corps's kitchen, quietly sipping tea. ChiChi says, "So."  
  
Bulma says, "So." Silence.  
  
"So."  
  
"So." More silence.  
  
"So."  
  
"So." And yet more silence.  
  
Out of the blue ChiChi screams, "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY GO-CHAN?!"  
  
Bulma says, "I'm sure which ever one you're talking about is fine!"  
  
ChiChi cries, "You don't understand! Go-Chan can't stay by himself! He doesn't know how to cook! He can't wash the dishes!"  
  
Bulma asks, "Which one ARE you talking about?"  
  
"My Goku doesn't even remember to pack any extra underwear!"  
  
Bulma suddenly grabs ChiChi by the arms and slaps her in the face, "ChiChi! Snap out of it! It's only been five hours!"  
  
"Only five hours?! ONLY FIVE HOURS?!"  
  
Bulma rolls her eyes, "I'm starting to wonder how you didn't worry to death when Goku was in space for a year."  
  
ChiChi says, "Actually I did. Gohan had to bring me back with the Dragonballs." A very, very large sweatdrop forms on Bulma's head.  
  
Then they suddenly hear the back doorbell ring. ChiChi yells, "Is that them?! Get the door!"  
  
Bulma says, "I really hope it's them." She opens the door and shrieks, "OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED?!"  
  
ChiChi runs next to her and yells, "WHAT HAPPENED?!" But she screams when she sees Goku being carried in by Trunks and Piccolo, "AAAAAAAAIYEEE! MY GO- CHAN?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY GO-CHAN?!"  
  
Bulma demands, "Where's everyone else?!"  
  
Trunks says, "Goten was kidnapped and...and everyone else is..."  
  
Piccolo finishes for him, "Dead."  
  
ChiChi pales, "Goten kidnapped...Goku near death...Gohan under control of that freak...WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TOO?!"  
  
Bulma yelps, "Oh my god! Does that mean Vegeta's gone?! No! He can't be!" She breaks into tears.  
  
Trunks says flatly, "Mom...Dad's with Goku, remember?"  
  
Bulma stops, "Oh, right. I forgot." Everyone falls over anime style.  
  
Piccolo demands, "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Trunks and the two women look at him uneasily. Trunks scratches the back of his head, "Um...well, um. How do I explain this?"  
  
Suddenly Goku stirs and opens his eyes, catching everyone's attention. ChiChi yelps, "Go-Chan! Oh Go-Chan, are you alright?"  
  
Goku says in a weak voice, "No, but don't worry. I should be fine with a senzu bean."  
  
Bulma says, "I'll go over to Kami's lookout and get some." She leaves the room, heading towards the front yard.  
  
Goku says, "Trunks, why don't you show Piccolo what's going on? I'd do it myself, but I'm too weak to even move my fingers. Besides we should let your father know what happened."  
  
Trunks asks, "Are you sure? My dad's gonna kill you for what happened to his body."  
  
Goku gives him a small smile, "Well he may try, but I don't think he would."  
  
Trunks positions his hand in a snapping position, "Uh, okay. If you're sure."  
  
Piccolo yelps, "Wait! What are you going to do?!" Trunks snaps his fingers, and suddenly the whole room is filled with a blinding light, pierced by Goku's screams. When the light recedes Piccolo sees a smaller body, wearing clothes that are way too big for it. The transformation is over and Vegeta is on his hands and knees, recovering. Piccolo reaches for him, "Son? Son, what happened to you?"  
  
Vegeta looks up, showing his trademark scowl, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Piccolo screams and jumps back from him, "What the hell is going on?!"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know, "Vegeta says, trying to get, but then he promptly falls back down, "oh Kami. Why do I feel like crap?"  
  
Trunks says flatly, "Dad, you look like crap."  
  
Vegeta looks at himself and shrieks, "KAKAROT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY BODY?!"  
  
Goku says, "Um...Veggie, I'm not Kakarot."  
  
Vegeta sits up and glowers, "Right. I forgot."  
  
Goku yawns and says, "Trunks, how bout you explain what happened? I'm too tired." His eyes close, which snap open when Vegeta takes control.  
  
Our little ouji growls, "Dumb baka."  
  
Trunks asks, "Is he asleep?"  
  
"Yes, and his snoring is like a chainsaw in my head." 


	59. It's not blood bondinghopefully

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Finally after many explanations and questions Trunks finally gets through explaining every single horrific detail of the events up to today to the demanding Vegeta and Piccolo. Trunks sits down and tries to catch his breath. Vegeta however sees the perfect chance to gloat.  
  
Vegeta cocks his head slightly as if he's listening to something, then suddenly yells, "GOKU! WAKE UP!"  
  
Goku shrieks, "GAH! WHA- WHAT HAPPENED?!" He glares at a mirror, "Oh, it's only you."  
  
"I just heard about what happened."  
  
Goku says flatly, "Good for you."  
  
"Well, it's too bad about Goten, or should I say Chibi Kakarot Jr."  
  
"Vegeta, shut up!"  
  
Vegeta smirks, "Shame about Krillen too. I never liked the little cueball."  
  
"VEGETA!"  
  
But the ouji just laughs, "Oh revenge is so sweet."  
  
"Revenge for what?!"  
  
Vegeta growls, "Of all people YOU should know!"  
  
Goku yells, "Oh yeah! Well you shouldn't be happy that Krillen is gone! He's the only one that was shorter than you!"  
  
Vegeta narrows his eyes dangerously and demands, "Exactly what are you suggesting?"  
  
"YOU'RE SHORT!"  
  
Vegeta gets up and yells, "You wouldn't dare say that again!"  
  
"SHORTY! SHORTY! SHORTY!"  
  
"YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Vegeta begins punching himself in the face, and Goku retaliates by punching himself in the gut. And the two roll around on the ground beating each other up. Piccolo sweatdrops. Trunks looks away and sighs, totally oblivious to what the two minds are doing.  
  
Goku stops fighting and asks, "Hey Trunks. What's the matter?"  
  
Vegeta yells, "What the hell did you stop our battle to the death for?!"  
  
Goku glares at Vegeta in the mirror, "If it's the battle to the death, exactly who are you going to kill?"  
  
Vegeta contemplates this and says, "Point taken."  
  
Goku whispers, "Besides, look at Trunks."  
  
Vegeta sighs and walks over to Trunks, "Son, what is it?"  
  
Trunks clenches his fist and says, "I should have went after Goten! I let Kakarot take him! Now Kakarot's gonna eat him alive or something!"  
  
Goku says, "Don't worry. Kakarot wouldn't do anything to Goten."  
  
Trunks asks, "Why?" But then he remembers, "Oh yeah, Goten's his 'clone'."  
  
Piccolo says, "He's not our main concern now. Kakarot is."  
  
Goku says, "Yeah, he basically stole my Spirit Form powers. Now he's unstoppable. Until..."  
  
Vegeta says, "We get stronger than him."  
  
Piccolo says, "It is possible...if we worked four hundred years straight. But we don't exactly have that much time."  
  
Trunks nods in agreement, "We need to get strong, fast."  
  
Goku says grudgingly, "Well we could have went into the hyperbolic time chamber, but Veggie-boy had to stay in it for two days before our fight with Cell, didn't you Veggie?" Vegeta hmmphs, but doesn't say anything. Goku continues his small rant, "If it was MY body then I could actually stay in there some more."  
  
Vegeta sighs, "Goku, your complaining is annoying."  
  
Suddenly Goku gets an idea, "I have an idea!" Everyone sweatdrops at author's use of repetitiveness.  
  
Vegeta mutters, "Good for you. Now, shut up."  
  
Goku ignores his remark and asks, "Veggie? Have you ever heard of a power glove thingy that only noble hearted people can wear?"  
  
Vegeta jumps up and demands, "Goku! What do you know about the Weapon?!"  
  
"Oh, is that what it's called? Kinda vague isn't it?"  
  
"WHERE DID YOU HEAR ABOUT IT, YOU BAKA!"  
  
Goku scratches the back of Vegeta's head and says, "Well, Kakarot made one actually. And I learned how to from him. And then when he tried it on he turned into a little kid for an hour! It really cracked me up."  
  
The little ouji turns white and stutters, "Y-y-you kn-know how t-to..."  
  
Goku asks, "Do I know how to make the Weapon?" Vegeta nods his head stupidly. "Yup! I know how!"  
  
Vegeta grabs his own shirt and yells threateningly, "I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU KNOW!"  
  
The larger saiyan takes a second to reflect on it and says, "Well...a whole bunch of weird stuff like how to take over some one else's mind...um... how to become fire proof... how to stop time... ooh, and a whole bunch of ancient saiyan torture techniques... how to shrink your opponents... how to manipulate wind... how to turn invisible..."  
  
Vegeta screams, "Enough! I'm sick of this! How could you possibly know all this?!"  
  
Goku shrugs, "I dunno. It kinda soaked in pretty quick. Maybe it's because I knew it all before, but forgot about it. Or maybe... I'm really smart!"  
  
Vegeta mutters, "Don't get your hopes up."  
  
"Awww... Oh well, too bad."  
  
Piccolo asks, "Why didn't you use these powers before?"  
  
Goku answers, "Well you have to be saiyan royalty or drink the blood of saiyan royalty to actually do any of this stuff."  
  
"And how was Kakarot able to do anything?" There is a small awkward moment. Everyone looks to Trunks to answer, except for Vegeta, who bows his head in shame  
  
Trunks finally says, "He drank my blood," and shows Piccolo the scar on his neck.  
  
Piccolo shivers and demands, "Does Kakarot know all this stuff?"  
  
Goku says, "Of course he knows it all, but he doesn't remember most of it, thankfully."  
  
Vegeta mumbles, "Then we may actually have the upper-hand."  
  
Goku says, "I don't know... I don't see how that can really help us much."  
  
Trunks says in disbelief, "Don't you think being able to take over someone else's mind helps?!"  
  
"Yeah, but Kakarot knows how to block it. So do I."  
  
Vegeta demands, "How can you block that monstrous attack?!"  
  
Goku says simply, "Just close your eyes so that the beam won't reach your brain." Everyone stares at him in disbelief.  
  
The little ouji yelps, "That's it! You mean I wouldn't have had my mind taken over, resulting in you being sent over to my body, and now having to share it with you, if I had just closed my eyes?!"  
  
"Um....yeah..."  
  
Trunks asks excitedly, "Can you show me your fire proofness?"  
  
"I could, but Vegeta doesn't know the technique. And my body isn't saiyan royalty. But maybe I could if I... Trunks, can you get me a bowl and a knife?" Trunks turns pale, but nods his head and gets them anyway.  
  
Vegeta demands, "What the hell are you planning on doing?!" Trunks comes back with the knife and hands it to Goku, quickly backing away.  
  
Goku says, "Vegeta, let me have your arm so I can bleed it."  
  
"WHAT?! HELL NO!"  
  
"I was afraid of that. Trunks, can you come here a sec?" Trunks goes over, but the scar on his neck burns like crazy. Goku says, "Trunks, I need a favor from you." Trunks nods, his scar burning even more. "I need you to cut this right arm and catch the blood from it."  
  
Trunks breathes a sigh of relief and says, "Sure Goku."  
  
Goku lays down his arm, but our ouji protests, "I thought I told you no blood from me!"  
  
"Think of it this way Veggie. This is the arm I control, so it's technically mine. So I'm not taking any blood from you."  
  
Piccolo smirks, "I didn't know you were such a crybaby, Vegeta. Who knew you'd be so scared of a knife."  
  
Vegeta turns an angry red, "Me?! Afraid?! How preposterous! Fine! Cut away! I don't care!"  
  
Trunks sweats nervously, as he cuts his father's arm, being careful to catch the blood in the bowl. He only gets a thin layer before Goku covers the wound. Trunks asks, "Don't you need more?"  
  
"No, that's enough."  
  
"But Kakarot-"  
  
Goku scowls, "Kakarot's a power-hungry, evil person."  
  
Vegeta rolls his eyes, "You can say that again."  
  
Goku says confused, "Uh... okay. Kakarot's a power-hun-"  
  
"I DIDN'T MEAN LITERALLY, BAKAROT!"  
  
Goku whines, "But Veggie, I'm not Kakarot."  
  
Vegeta sighs and turns away, "Right. I forgot. Again. Bakayaro."  
  
Goku demands, "What did you call me?"  
  
"BAKAYARO! WHAT DO THINK I SAID!"  
  
"Veggie, that's not nice."  
  
"No shit, sherlock." Goku frowns and looks over to Trunks, expectantly. Trunks gets it and bangs the knife against the metal bowl. Vegeta yells, "Crap! Not again!" And then he, once again, transforms into Goku.  
  
Goku says, "Thanks Trunks. I don't think I could have convinced him to do that." He takes the bowl and grimaces at it. "I don't know. It doesn't seem right drinking Veggie's blood."  
  
Trunks asks, "What do you mean?"  
  
Goku says, "Well, think of the symbolism of it. I'll have Veggie's blood in my system. It's kind of like a blood bond. We'll be connected forever and ever as blood brothers. Who knows the effects it might have."  
  
Piccolo mutters, "Son, just drink the damned blood already."  
  
Goku bites his lip and bravely gulps the red liquid down. Once he's down, he nearly coughs it back up again, "Oh Kami! That was disgusting! Yuck!"  
  
Piccolo asks, "Any changes?"  
  
"No, but it tasted horrible."  
  
Without giving Goku any chance to recover, Trunks half drags Goku outside, "Come on! Show me all the stuff you can do!"  
  
Goku says in a scolding manner, "Trunks, we have more important things to do."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I'm going to have to draw out Gohan from Kakarot's mind control. Second, we need that glove. It's over at Kakarot's hide out. Not to mention Goten."  
  
Trunks says knowingly, "Ohh... I know where that is. I'll go get it."  
  
Goku exclaims, "Are you crazy?! You can't go over there all by yourself!"  
  
Trunks waves him off, offhandedly, "Puh-lease. You're talking to a professional trickster here."  
  
Goku crosses his arms and says, "All the same, I'm not letting you go alone."  
  
Trunks sighs, "Okay...Why don't you come with me?"  
  
"You're a really stubborn kid, you know that?"  
  
Trunks ignores the remark and continues his plan, "Then you could create a distraction, while I snatch the glove and Goten. Or better yet you go after it yourself! Yeah, that's it! Turn invisible! You know how, why don't you do that?"  
  
Goku protests, "Yeah, I know how, but I've never done it before. Like the trouble you and Goten had with the fusion dance."  
  
Trunks smiles, "So I guess you better start practicing!" 


	60. A futile attemptIs it all a lost cause?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
After several hours of futile efforts of trying to turn invisible Goku and Trunks head over to Goku's house to check up on Gohan. Piccolo stays at Capsule Corps to train in the gravity room. On the way to the Son residence, Trunks asks, "Don't you think that my dad's going to get really mad when he finds out Piccolo's been using his gravity room."  
  
Goku smiles, "Don't you mean IF he finds out?"  
  
Trunks copies the sneaky smile, "I really didn't know you had it in you."  
  
They drop down to the front door of the house and go inside. To Goku's surprise, they find Videl in the living room, waiting for Gohan to wake up. Videl gets up and says, "Hello Mr. Son, Mrs. Son already told me what happened. Is Gohan going to be alright?"  
  
Goku says, "I'm sure he will. I'm going to try and get him up now."  
  
"Could you really?"  
  
"I'll give it my best shot." He sees ChiChi sitting in the kitchen, sipping some tea, obviously worried about her boys. Goku walks behind her and pecks her on the neck, "Hi ChiChi."  
  
ChiChi says sadly, "Oh Go-Chan, I'm so worried about our boys."  
  
Goku strokes her cheek with his hand, "Don't worry ChiChi. We'll get everything back to normal, like we always do."  
  
ChiChi nods and says flatly, "Yes. Go and get Gohan back."  
  
Goku leaves her reluctantly and turns to Trunks, "Stay down here, okay?" He goes up the stairs over to Gohan's room. Seeing his son so pale and unable to move, Goku almost feels like he is in his own state of helplessness.  
  
A voice behind him says, "He doesn't seem alive at all when he's like that." Goku turns and sees that Videl followed him. Videl says, "But sometimes he screams and screams like somebody's torturing him. But he never wakes up."  
  
Suddenly Gohan screams, startling everyone, "NOOO! DON'T HURT THEM! MOM! DAD! NO!"  
  
Goku hurries by Gohan's side, "Gohan, I'm here. I'm right here. Everything will be okay."  
  
Videl says, "Hold him down a sec."  
  
Goku turns and demands, "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I'm going to give him some medicine."  
  
"Medicine to do what?!"  
  
Surprised by Goku's tone, Videl says, "It's a sedative, it calms him down so he won't hurt himself." She reveals a rather large syringe filled with green liquid, in her hand.  
  
Goku turns a ghastly pale color and shrieks, "Nuh-nuh-nuh-NEEDLE!" And in a fright he jumps under Gohan's bed, trying to keep the needle away from him. Videl sweatdrops and moves to give Gohan the shot. Without warning a small ki blast comes out from under the bed, destroying the syringe.  
  
Goku yells from under the bed, "Don't put that stuff in him anymore! It's poison to him! When you sedate someone when they're in mind control, they can still be tortured! If you sedate him, he'll be powerless to do anything! And that will kill him!"  
  
Videl shakes with shock, "Wh-what? Oh Kami, what have I done? I just made things worse!"  
  
Goku says, "You did what you thought was best. But now we know that was wrong and it has been corrected. I don't think too much harm was done. It'll just be harder to pull him out."  
  
Videl says meekly, "Okay. I hope you're right." Then comes an awkward silence. "Um...Mr. Son? Why are you still under the bed?"  
  
"I'm stuck and I can't get out."  
  
Videl shakes her head with amusement, "Okay, I'll help you." She grabs Goku's hands in an attempt to pull him out and get unstuck. Then Gohan begins screaming again.  
  
Goku yelps, "Videl, maybe you should hurry it up a bit!"  
  
Videl growls, "I'm trying!" She pulls with all her might, and Goku pops out from under the bed...and crashes into the opposite wall.  
  
Goku smiles from his upside down position against the wall, "Well, that was fun."  
  
"Mr. Son! Don't forget Gohan!"  
  
Goku jumps up and goes over to Gohan's side, "Man, I really hope this works." He places his hand on Gohan's forehead and concentrates. He suddenly looks like he's discovered a gold mine and then... he starts screaming too.  
  
Videl asks, "Mr. Son! Are you alright?"  
  
He says, "No. Leave me. I connected with Gohan. I- AAAAAH!!" He trembles all over and whispers, "Gohan. It's me, your dad. Let me help you, I- KAKAROT! GIVE HIM BACK! GOHAN, FIGHT HIM!"  
  
Gohan whispers, "I'm trying Dad. I feel so weak...."  
  
Goku yells, "NO! GOHAN!" Goku opens his eyes and whispers, "No. I lost him. I almost had him back, but Kakarot took him. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't do anything."  
  
Videl attempts to make him feel better, despite how shaken up all the screaming made her, "Look, you did the best you could. Which is better than any of us ever did."  
  
Goku looks at Gohan, who had fallen back into a stupor, "I'm sorry, son. I will get you back, but I need to get stronger. I swear I'll get you back though."  
  
Trunks waits for Goku to come back down in the living room, and hears shuffling feet coming down the stairs. He looks up and sees Goku with a not too common defeated look on his face. Trunks asks, "Gohan isn't awake?"  
  
Goku says, "Trunks."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Help me practice turning invisible." 


	61. Practice makes perfect

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
"Okay, try it again," Trunks says, sitting on a rock, watching Goku.  
  
Goku nods and concentrates, holding two fingers to his right temple. Goku yells, "Al Kasa!" But nothing happens. He asks, "Am I invisible yet?"  
  
Trunks says, "Nope."  
  
"Dang." He tries again, "Alkasa!" Yet again, nothing happens. "Trunks..."  
  
"No."  
  
"AlKasa!"  
  
"No."  
  
"ALKasa!"  
  
"No."  
  
"ALkasa!" But this time Goku feels a little different. "Trunks! I went invisible this time, didn't I?"  
  
Trunks turns red, "Uh... not quite."  
  
"What?" Then Goku notices ChiChi and Videl laughing at him from inside the house. He looks at himself and shrieks, "Gah! I'm naked!"  
  
Trunks says, "I think you just turned your clothes invisible."  
  
Goku pats his chest and says, "Yeah, I can still feel them."  
  
Trunks says, "Well do the thing to turn it back to visible. Quick!"  
  
Goku yells, "Akima Tirasimu!" And he instantly gets his clothes back. Goku says with amazement, "Wow. It actually worked."  
  
Trunks asks, "Wanna stop now?"  
  
Goku says, "Are you kidding?! I'm just starting to get the hang of this!" He makes another attempt, "AL Kasa!"  
  
Trunks shrieks, "ACK! YOUR HEAD'S GONE!"  
  
"Well it's suppose to be."  
  
"But the rest of your body's still there!"  
  
"Not another mistake!" He yells, "Akira TIrasimu."  
  
Trunks pales, "Your head's still there."  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
Trunks runs inside and grabs a brown paper bag. He gives it to Goku and says, "Here, put this on. You look really creepy without a head."  
  
Goku says, "I never knew there'd be a day I'd have to wear a paper bag of shame over my head." He puts it on and exclaims, "Hey! I can't see anything!"  
  
Trunks says flatly, "You forgot to poke some eyeholes."  
  
Goku laughs, "Oh yeah. Oops."  
  
Trunks says, "I don't know why Kakarot thinks Goten is his clone, he's nothing like him. But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Goten is yours."  
  
Goku says solemnly, "Trunks. I have something to tell you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Goten IS my clone."  
  
"WHAT?!" But then Goku starts laughing at his shock. Trunks says sulkily, "Very funny. Just start practicing again."  
  
Once they get back to practicing however, Trunks almost wishes they hadn't. Goku turned fully invisible one time, except for his guts. Another time, his eyeballs were still present. Trunks had to run in and out of the house so many times, he got dizzy. Finally he just gave up on that and went behind a bush to hurl.  
  
After many long hours.... Trunks moans, "Can we stop now before I become bulimic?"  
  
Goku says, "Just let me do this once more. Then you go in and puke your heart out." He gives it total concentrating, putting two fingers to his temple. He yells, "Alka'asa!" Goku feels his whole body numb for a second, but then it returns to normal. Goku says, "Trunks, I felt something there. I'm invisible, aren't I?"  
  
Trunks leaps for joy, "Yeah! You're invisible! Unless you went and hid like that other time."  
  
Goku says frantically, "No! No joke! I'm right in front of you!"  
  
Trunks walks around the area, "Really? Where?" and ends up walking right into Goku. "Ow!.. Wow!" He circles around Goku, feeling him, "This is so cool!" Then he touches an awkward place.  
  
Goku says, "Uh... Trunks, don't touch that."  
  
Trunks blushes really, really hard, "S-sorry. I didn't no where it was," quickly taking his hands off. Then he tries to regain his composure, "Well, anyway. You can go get that glove now, no sweat."  
  
"Just because you can't see a person, doesn't mean he isn't there. I'm still going to have to be careful when I head over to Kakarot's base. Maybe you should come with me, just in case."  
  
Trunks says excitedly, "Cool! I get to kick some Kako-butt!"  
  
Goku chuckles uneasily, "He he he...rrrright. Say, how bout we test this on the girls."  
  
The young demi-saiyan smiles craftily, "I knew never knew you had a sneaky bone in your body. There may be hope for you yet, Son Goku." The two sneak into the house where Videl is helping ChiChi make dinner. Goku sneaks up behind ChiChi and strokes her cheek very lightly, causing her to shiver.  
  
Videl asks, "What is it, Mrs. Son?"  
  
ChiChi says in a bewildered manner, "I don't know," putting a hand to her cheek. Goku bites his lip with anticipation as he pinches Videl's back.  
  
Videl shrieks and screams, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"  
  
ChiChi scowls, "I have no idea what you're talking about! And don't use that tone with me!"  
  
"YOU PINCHED ME, YOU OLD CRONE!"  
  
ChiChi yells, "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"  
  
"OLD CRONE!"  
  
ChiChi whips out her frying pan and yells, "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THAT! NO ONE CALLS ME OLD AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" And with that ChiChi begins charging at Videl. Videl readies her fighting position, and the two begin fighting in the kitchen.  
  
Goku sweatdrops at the behavior of the two women, {Jeez, maybe I shouldn't have done that.} Outside Trunks is having the time of his life, watching the two fight. But then ChiChi makes a way off swing and unintentionally smacks Goku right on the head. Goku yelps, "Ow! That hurt!"  
  
The two women stop fighting immediately when they hear Goku's voice. Goku quickly covers his mouth, but it is too late. ChiChi yells, "GOKU! YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE NOW, MISTER! SHOW YOURSELF!" And he unwisely does so.  
  
Goku says meekly, "Sorry ChiChi, Videl, I was just testing this out."  
  
ChiChi screams, "WELL YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE PLAYED A PRANK ON US LIKE THAT! NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM!"  
  
Goku asks, "Uh... here or at Bulma's house?"  
  
"ON THE COUCH IF YOU DON'T MOVE IT!"  
  
Goku yelps, "Yes, ChiChi!" And runs up the stairs.  
  
ChiChi hmmphs, "I do not know what to do with that man."  
  
Videl asks, "Can't I take a punch at him?"  
  
"NO! HE'S MY HUSBAND AND ONLY I CAN!"  
  
Trunks hears all the trouble and nervously walks inside, "Um... Maybe I should get going now. It's getting late."  
  
ChiChi says calmly, "Oh nonsense. You can have dinner here. We have plenty to eat," showing all the food on the table. At the sight of it Trunks turns green and quickly runs out the door.  
  
Videl wonders outloud, "What was wrong with him?" ChiChi shrugs, and they continue to talk pleasantly to each other as if they never fought at all.  
  
Later that evening when Goku in bed with ChiChi, he awakes to find that his stomach is growling. Goku's stomach roars and Goku moans, "Ohhh....So hungry," feeling the hunger pains. He quietly sneaks off to the kitchen for fridge raid and eats the leftover food, stuffing his face.  
  
Not feeling tired at the moment, Goku plops on the couch in the living room and watches some midnight anime. After his fifth episode of Gundam though, he heads back to his room, ready to go to bed. However he forgets to turn off the television.  
  
A while after he falls asleep a commercial runs on the screen for a cleaning solution. The announcer says in his mock advertising voice, "Hydro Clean is safe and easy to use! It can get rid of stains just like that!" and he snaps his fingers. 


	62. A rude awakening

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
The next morning Vegeta wakes up from his sleep, and groggily wonders, {Was that all a bad dream? It had to be. Never in a million light years would I be sharing my body with that blast goon.} In the dim light, he sees a woman in bed next to him and shakes her awake, "Onna, fix me some breakfast."  
  
The lump under the quilt says, "Fix your own breakfast," obviously very grumpy and very tired.  
  
Vegeta growls, "Damn you, onna! Fix me some breakfast! I'm hungry!"  
  
The woman gets up angrily and yells, "Since when did you start calling me, onna?!" She gets a good look at Vegeta, and Vegeta gets a good look at her. Nearly five miles away, two horrified screams pierce the dewy morning. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"  
  
Later that morning, Trunks flies over to the Son residence, feeling much better after his hurl-a-thon the previous day. He invites himself inside the house yelling, "Goku! I'm here!" But once he gets in the kitchen, he quickly surveys the scene, noticing things are not well.  
  
ChiChi is sulking at one end of the kitchen table, and his father at the other end of the table, eating cold cereal. And they're glaring at each other very hard, as if accusing each other for some great misdeed.  
  
Trunks says nervously, "Uh...good morning." They don't answer. Obviously they are not having a good morning. Trunks runs to the cupboards and gets some pots, "Sorry Dad, but we gotta go and save Goten." He bangs the pots together, but it has no effect whatsoever on Vegeta.  
  
ChiChi says flatly, "Your father's wearing earplugs, and there's no way he's going to take them out." Vegeta's smile spells sick satisfaction on his face.  
  
Trunks however gets an idea and he writes something down on a piece of paper. He shows it to Vegeta, who clutches at his heart like he's going to have a cardiac arrest. The paper reads, 'Piccolo had sex with Mom.'  
  
Vegeta gets up angrily and yells, "YOU BETTER EXPLAIN THIS RIGHT NOW, YOU BRAT!" Trunks writes down 'Proof' onto the paper and brings a CD player out of his trusty backpack and pops a CD in. Vegeta, of course, can't hear it, so he takes out his earplugs to listen.  
  
At that moment ChiChi bangs the pots right behind him. Before Vegeta transforms, he yells, "Trunks! You traitor! How could you?!" But then he turns into Goku, once again. Goku, however, still seems to be sleeping.  
  
Trunks frowns, "Dad's right. His snoring is like a chainsaw."  
  
ChiChi says, "Really? I don't notice it."  
  
Trunks says, "Uh...rrright."  
  
ChiChi gently slaps Goku awake, "Go-Chan, honey. Time to save Goten." He snorts loudly, but then falls back asleep. By now ChiChi loses her patience, "GOKU! WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"  
  
Goku opens his eyes and smiles, "Oh, hi ChiChi." He yawns, "When's breakfast?" 


	63. Rescue mission! Has Goten become a trait...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
"HA HA HA! That's hilarious!"  
  
Trunks says flatly, "Goku, they woke up in the same bed."  
  
Goku's stops laughing instantly, "Hoo-boy. No wonder ChiChi was so upset."  
  
Trunks looks around for the entrance to Kakarot's base above the mountains, and asks offhandedly, "You still know how to turn invisible right?"  
  
Goku falters, "Uh...W-well, I think so."  
  
Trunks yelps, "What?! Didn't you practice?!" Goku shakes his head guiltily. Trunks sighs, "I guess you're just going to have to wing it."  
  
Goku suddenly points out a big hole on the side of the mountain, "Trunks, that's the base. We should land now."  
  
Trunks nods, and they lands in a grove at the base of the mountain. Goku surveys the base, while Trunks keeps watch around them. Trunks asks, "Are they in there?"  
  
Goku shakes his head, "No, I can't see or sense anything. I'll turn invisible anyway, just in case. If they come then warn me by whistling. Okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Goku concentrates and puts two fingers to his right temple, "AlKa'asa." Then he feels himself turn invisible.  
  
He gets up, but the demi-saiyan pulls him back down, "You can't go like that!"  
  
Goku says in confusion, "Well I'm invisible, aren't I?"  
  
"Yeah, but your clothes aren't!"  
  
Goku looks down, "Dammit!" He starts undressing and says, "I guess I'll have to go naked." He hands the clothes to Trunks, "Take care of these for me will you?"  
  
Trunks nods, "Okay."  
  
"And don't forget. Whistle."  
  
Goku leaves the grove and flies up to the Kakarot's base. He looks inside to confirm that no one is there. But when he gets near, he feels something funny, {Weird. It feels like the air is vibrating around me. That must be those laser alarms Kakarot set up. Dang, if only I learned that infrared vision thing. Oh well, I guess I'll have to do it the hard way.}  
  
Goku closes his eyes and concentrates, feeling the vibrations in the air. He pictures the movements in his head and sees a whole maze of moving lasers. {This is going to be hard. Okay, just take this one step at a time.}  
  
He senses the first laser and jumps over it. He ducks under another just as it was about to go through his waist. But almost immediately it comes back and Goku has to do the splits to avoid it. He moans, "Ow...." but he quickly recovers and presses on.  
  
A double back flip, a front flip, side walling, and yet another split, and another back flip, and finally he's through the maze. Goku pants heavily and leans against the wall. Suddenly a thought occurs to him, {Dammit! I could've done my instant transmission the whole time!} He bangs his head against the wall, cursing himself, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"  
  
He pauses the cursing and takes a look around the cave. He sees it's no different than last time, except it's filled to the brim with toys! Goku says in amazement, "Wow. These must be for Goten. Either to pamper him or bribe him." He sees a fuzzy brown teddy bear and squeals, "Ooh! It's so cute! Wait, no that's not what I'm here for."  
  
He tries looking for the glove, but it isn't in the corner of the cave where Kakarot left it. Goku rubs his chin thoughtfully and wonders outloud, "Now where can that be?" He looks everywhere around the cave, but he can't find the dang thing. Goku frowns, "I guess it's not here...." He decides to leave, but then trips over a trash can and lands right on his face.  
  
Goku moans, "Owww, that hurt." But then he sees the contents of the trash and sees the glove sprawled on the ground. Goku picks it up and it turns invisible with his touch. He says, "So that's where it is! Why didn't I look there first?" Then he notices something mushy from the glove sticking to his hand, "Ewww! Bubblegum!"  
  
Meanwhile, outside in the grove, Trunks begins to wonder what's taking Goku so long. He sighs and looks up at the sky. He suddenly spots two figures coming closer to the cave and thinks, {Now who are those two?} But upon closer look he realizes that they're Kakarot and Goten. {Aaah! It's him! I gotta warn Goku!}  
  
He tries to whistle, but all he gets is 'Phuu...Phuu...' Trunks comes to the sudden realization that he can't whistle. Trunks frantically keeps trying, thinking, {I don't believe this! How come Goten can do this and I can't?!} He looks up and sees, {No! They already went in!}  
  
Goku suddenly sees two shadows on the floor behind him and turns to see two figures at the entrance of the cave. Goku thinks, {Oh no! Why didn't Trunks whistle?!} He quickly suppresses his ki into nearly nothing, {Good thing Kakarot can't sense energy himself, but Goten can. Nah, he wouldn't give me up.} But he was wrong.  
  
Goten says, "There's someone here."  
  
Kakarot says in surprise, "Really? Where?"  
  
Goten points to Goku's direction, "In that direction."  
  
Kakarot frowns at the supposedly, empty corner, "There's no one there."  
  
Goten says with insistence, "Yes there is."  
  
Kakarot walks over to the corner, right up in front of Goku. Goku holds his breath and hopes Kakarot doesn't move any closer. Kakarot narrows his eyes and leans so close that Goku can feel his breath on his face. But to his great relief Kakarot backs off and says, "There's no one there."  
  
But he gets no answer from Goten. Kakarot looks around the cave and says, "Chibi Kakarot Jr?" Goku takes this chance to teleport out of there. Kakarot yells, "Where are you?!" 


	64. The last transformation

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will  
  
Goku meets Trunks on the way back to Capsule Corps, and Trunks seems to be struggling to keep Goten under control. Goten yells, "Let me go! Let me go back!"  
  
Trunks yelps, "Will you calm down!" He senses Goku's ki and throws his clothes over to him, "Here, put these on and turn back to normal. He'll stop freaking out if he sees you."  
  
Goku says flatly, "I don't know if he will," remembering how Goten had betrayed him in the cave. But he does what Trunks says anyway and turns visible.  
  
But once Goten sees his father he starts screaming even more, "Aaaah! Don't hurt me!"  
  
Goku says, "Goten, calm down."  
  
Goten stops screaming and asks, "Who's Goten?"  
  
Goku and Trunks both yelp, "You don't know who you are?!"  
  
Goten says in a miffed tone, "Of course I do. I'm Chibi Kakarot Jr., son of Kakarot. And you better let me go or else my father's gonna get you!"  
  
Trunks shakes Goten by the shoulders, "You're not Chibi Kakarot Jr! You're Goten! What the hell did Kakarot do to you?!"  
  
Goten says, "He takes care of me and gives me toys. And he also saves me from evil people like you!"  
  
Trunks says, obviously stunned, "He thinks WE'RE evil?!"  
  
Goku reaches for Goten to try and comfort him, but Goten shrinks away from him, screaming, "AAAH! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! Don't kill me!"  
  
Goku says, "I would never hurt my own son."  
  
"I'm not your son! I'm Kakarot's son! Now let me go!"  
  
Goku studies the situation and says, "I think he's been brainwashed."  
  
Trunks asks quietly, "Can we unbrainwash him?"  
  
Goku says over Goten's wails, "Well I don't know how really, but I think we both may know an expert on the matter."  
  
Vegeta says, "I won't do it."  
  
Goku whines, "Why not?"  
  
"Well it's about time that you suffered. And unbrainwashing is a very "delicate" process and takes too much time. Time that I could use to train instead."  
  
Goku yells threateningly, "Would you rather spend your time stuck in my body?!"  
  
Vegeta stares at Goku in the mirror with amazement, "That almost sounded like a threat."  
  
Goku asks, "R-really? Veggie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm just so frustrated."  
  
Vegeta sighs, "Now you're acting more like your baka self again. Besides, I happen to think that your spawn seems better this way." He turns to the kitchen and looks at Goten give ChiChi the hardest time of her life trying to get him to eat. Vegeta makes a small smile of reminiscence, "Reminds me of my own childhood days," watching Goten throw the food in ChiChi's face.  
  
Goku frowns and asks, "What do I have to have to do to get you to help him?"  
  
Vegeta answers immediately, "Get out of my body. Go over to Gohan's mind and share his blasted body with him!"  
  
Goku says, "But Gohan doesn't have that special something like....turning into me!"  
  
The little ouji says calmly, "I'm sure that my son would be "delighted" to hypnotize Gohan for you...And unhypnotize me," giving a glare to Trunks, who had been listening the whole time.  
  
Goku thinks over the risks of doing such a feat and decides that Goten's welfare is worth much more than his own. "Fine, I'll do it. But you need to unbrainwash Goten first."  
  
Vegeta smirks, "Deal...Oh yes, one more thing..."  
  
Goku sighs, "What is it?"  
  
"I want the Weapon. I must have it!"  
  
Goku shrugs, "Okay, sure...if you can wear it," he adds with a not too common Veggie-smirk.  
  
Slightly unnerved, Vegeta says defensively, "Of course I can wear it, baka! You're talking to a saiyajin no ouji! Now let's see to our little patient, shall we?" He walks into the kitchen and grabs Goten just as he was about to try and escape again, and walks towards the gravity room. Goten begins his threats and pleading again, as always.  
  
A slightly batter ChiChi says in a worried tone, "Go-Chan, I don't trust Vegeta with our son."  
  
Goku calls back, "Don't worry, ChiChi. I'll be there."  
  
Six hours have passed since Vegeta had taken Goten into his care. ChiChi and Trunks are still waiting for Vegeta to finish the unbrainwashing process. ChiChi paces around the room, while Trunks sleeps on the couch, a small trail of drool coming out of his mouth.  
  
Suddenly the door opens and ChiChi snaps to attention. She sees Vegeta at the doorway and demands, "Is he okay?"  
  
Vegeta says, "Not yet. We need food."  
  
ChiChi hurries to the kitchen and gets every item in the fridge, quickly handing them over to the little ouji. She demands, "Are you going to be done soon?"  
  
Vegeta says flatly, "No."  
  
Goku pipes up, "Don't worry about it ChiChi." Then Vegeta slams the door in ChiChi's face. She sits back done, disappointed.  
  
Yet another six hours later... The door opens up and Vegeta leads Goten out. ChiChi cries, "Goten! Are you okay?!"  
  
Goten runs to her arms and cries, "Mommy, it was so horrible!"  
  
Trunks wakes up and yawns, "What time is it?"  
  
ChiChi demands, "Goten, tell me. What did Vegeta do to you?"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "I didn't do anything."  
  
ChiChi yells, "Shut it, ouji!"  
  
Goten sniffles, "Uncle Veggie wouldn't let me have any candy." ChiChi sweatdrops.  
  
Goku says, "Veggie was only doing that so that Goten would snap out of it."  
  
Vegeta yells, "Baka! Don't give away my secret techniques!"  
  
Goten pouts, "I'm still hungry."  
  
ChiChi hugs him, "Poor baby. Don't worry, I'll get you something to eat." Then she leads him over to the kitchen.  
  
Trunks jumps up, "Hey! I want something, too!" and runs after them, leaving Goku and Vegeta alone.  
  
Vegeta says, "You have to fulfil our deal. You know that, right?"  
  
Goku sighs, "Yes, I know. But I need my body this one last time."  
  
Vegeta asks suspiciously, "Do I look stupid to you?"  
  
Goku answers quickly, "No! Of course not!"  
  
"Then how do I know that you won't pull some cheap trick on me?!"  
  
Goku frowns, "Vegeta, would_I_do something like that?" sounding slightly offended.  
  
Vegeta scoffs, "Usually no... but lately..." He doesn't finish.  
  
The younger saiyajin sighs, "I give you my word that I will get you your body back."  
  
Vegeta laughs, "HA! A lot of good that'll do."  
  
Goku looks at Vegeta through a mirror with pleading eyes, "Can't you trust me?"  
  
Vegeta winces, seeing his eyes form those big sparkly eyes that belong to Goku, "Alright! Fine! I can't believe I'm letting you do this! In fact, why don't I do it myself!" He storms into the kitchen, earning stares from ChiChi and the two boys, and he grabs a metal pot. In a rage he hurls it at the stove, demolishing it. 


	65. Test for power

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A little later in Capsule Corps. Trunks, Goten, and ChiChi watch as Goku finishes making his to do list and looks it over, to see if he forgot anything. *Wake up Gohan *Hypnotize Gohan *Put him back to sleep *Knockout self and Vegeta *Mind hop to Gohan *Help Gohan waike up and share control with him *Make a new power gloves for everyone *Drink more of Vegeta's blood (yuck) *Train with gloves *Defeat Kakarot *Unhypnotize Vegeta (maybe)  
  
ChiChi peeks over Goku's shoulder and sighs, "It all looks so simple once you put it down on paper. And by the way, you spelt wake wrong.  
  
Goku smiles, "Thanks, ChiChi," quickly changing 'waike' to 'waik.' ChiChi sweatdrops. Goku asks, "Hey ChiChi? Where's the glove?"  
  
ChiChi says, "Oh. It's in my bag. I just had to get that disgusting bubblegum off of it." She goes over to her bag on the couch and brings it back to Goku, "Here you go sweetie."  
  
Goten asks, "Daddy? Is that safe?"  
  
Goku frowns, "I think so. Why did you say that?"  
  
Goten chirps, "Kakarot tried putting it on several times at the base. But he always ended up screaming and had to pull it off. Then he finally threw it away, and told me it was dangerous. I think he frazzled his brain a little 'cuz he kept on talking to himself for a while."  
  
Goku smiles nervously, "He he. That's nice to know, Goten." Trunks and ChiChi stare from Goku to the glove to Goku again. Goku asks hesitantly, "ChiChi, am I noble hearted?"  
  
ChiChi says quickly, "Of course you are, Go-Chan." But she sounds like she's trying to convince herself as well.  
  
Trunks says, "Well, Goku, if not you, then who else?"  
  
ChiChi smiles, "Exactly."  
  
Goku nods, "Alright, let's do this." And he closes his eyes as he slowly pulls the glove over his hand.  
  
Goku's eyes snap open, when he realizes that instead of the expected pain... he felt power and strength flowing from the glove into his very veins. Does power corrupt? Of course. Goku's mouth turns into an evil smirk as he feels all the power becoming part of him.  
  
ChiChi asks in a worried tone, "Goku, are you all right?" nervous from the look on his face.  
  
Goku answers with a certain ruthlessness in his voice, "I'm better than all right. I've never felt better in my life!"  
  
ChiChi says, mildly irritated, "Well, you don't look alright. Let me have a look at you."  
  
She puts her hand on his shoulder, but Goku suddenly lashes out at her, "Don't touch me, woman!" hitting her. ChiChi goes flying against the wall, passing into unconsciousness. Trunks stares at Goku, horrified and scared, backing away from him. Goten watches with an unnatural indifference.  
  
Goku suddenly realizes what he's done and his hands start shaking like mad, "Oh my god! What did I do?!" He stares at the glove on his hand, "It's this thing! I have to get it off! Someone help me!" He tries wrenching it off, but it just won't budge.  
  
Trunks rushes to his aid, but Goku changes again, "Don't you even dare come near me!" He swings a punch at Trunks, knocking him unconscious as well.  
  
That's when Goku hears the laughter. Evil laughter. "Ha ha ha! You may be noble hearted Kakarot, but you are not a true saiyajin. I will change that. Oh yes, I will change that. You probably already noticed. You're a killing machine, Kakarot! Just like all your ancestors before you! Muah-ha-ha-ha- ha!"  
  
Goku clutches at his head and yells, "NO! I won't become like them! Somebody help me!"  
  
Goten holds up his hand and says in an emotionless voice, "Son Goku. Look at me. Calm down. Just do what I say." Goku stops his hysteria and looks up at his son, who doesn't really seem to be his son at all. Goten continues, "Just keep your eyes on my hand and all will be well," slowly walking towards Goku, his hand extended in front of him.  
  
The hideous voice hisses, "No Kakarot! You mustn't listen to him! He's just trying to trick you! Just accept your fate. Take the easy path, and become one with the ancient saiyajins. Your ancestors! They're calling for you, Kakarot. They want you back. Come back to us...Kakarot."  
  
Goku fights the voice, not allowing his eyes to stray from Goten's hand. Goten says, "Focus. You must focus, Son Goku. Concentrate on the task at hand." All the meanwhile he's moving closer and closer to him. "Hone out the voice. Don't listen to it."  
  
It gets harder and harder for Goku to_not_listen though. "Kakarot, they call you. Here, Kakarot, your mother's calling for you." The voice changes into a soft feminine voice that sounds so strangely familiar. "Is that you, Kakarot? Is it you my little boy? Oh you've grown up so much."  
  
Goku whispers, "Mommy?"  
  
Goten yells, "Son Goku! That is not your mother! Don't be fooled by such tricks!"  
  
The feminine voice says, "Kakarot, come with us... Become my little boy once again. Become one with the saiyajin race." Goku can swear that he can almost see the beautiful saiyajin woman in front of him.  
  
Goku yells, "And become like Kakarot! Never!"  
  
The female smiles, "Oh you won't become like him. You're better than he is. You have a noble heart."  
  
Goku says, "Yeah, that's right. I do."  
  
Goten yells, "Don't listen to them!"  
  
"You deserve this power, Kakarot, my son. You earned it. You should be stronger than Kakarot. It is your right."  
  
Goku starts to weaken, "Well I..."  
  
"Son Goku! Don't give in!"  
  
But Goku almost stops looking at Goten's hand. Suddenly, without warning, yet another voice comes up, "Ka- I mean Goku... this is your father, Bardock."  
  
Goku shakes his head, "No, leave me alone..."  
  
"Goku, that is no way to talk to your father!" Bardock's voice is different. Not seductively persuasive like the others, but real. Without even seeing the change, Goku is now looking into the face of a certain scarred individual that looks almost exactly like him.  
  
Bardock scowls, "You baka! You're stronger than this! You should have fought off the voices by now! Look here, you don't need that stupid glove. You're strong enough on your own. I can't believe that my son, the avenger of the saiyajin race, can't even fight off a bunch of imaginary voices."  
  
The female saiyajin hisses, "You! What are you doing here!"  
  
But she screams as Bardock disintegrates her image with a mere wave of his hand. He mutters, obviously irritated, "What a crude imitation of Celipra."  
  
Goten yells, infuriated, "What ARE you doing here! You should know the rules! No interference!"  
  
Bardock demands, "What are you doing this test for anyway? Heaven should know by now, whether my son is qualified or not."  
  
Goten stomps his foot, "It's standard procedure! And you're ruining all of it!"  
  
Goku says meekly, "Um... couldn't we just forget that my father showed up?"  
  
They both yell, "NO!"  
  
Goten throws up his hands in exasperation and yells, "Forget! Just forget it!" He flies up to Goku's height and slaps his hand onto Goku's forehead, "There! Your seal of approval." Goten scowls at both of them and snaps, "I hope you're both happy! You just gave me a whole year's worth of paperwork! Now, good-bye!" He snaps his fingers and he and the world around them shatter away, leaving Goku and Bardock in a strange black void. They both look at each other silently.  
  
"....."  
  
"......: )" Goku grins, and literally jumps onto Bardock, "Daddy!" If Goku was actually a little kid this would have worked out.... but of course, he's not....  
  
Bardock yells, from the ground, "GOKU! GET OFFA ME!"  
  
Goku gets up and scratches the back of his head, "He he... sorry about that. I got a little excited." Bardock glares at him. So Goku says defensively, "Well this is the first time we've met!"  
  
Bardock sits up and shakes his head in amusement, "Oh brother."  
  
Goku eyes him awkwardly, and says, "Um...speaking of brothers.... You aren't mad at me about Raditz are you?"  
  
Bardock shrugs, "He deserved it."  
  
"What about Turles?"  
  
"He did, too."  
  
Goku twiddles his fingers nervously, "So...."  
  
Bardock finishes it, "So."  
  
"........."  
  
"........."  
  
Goku suddenly blurts out, "Who do you like better, me or Kakarot?!" He slaps his hand over his mouth, but it's already too late.  
  
Bardock smirks, "Don't worry, Goku. It isn't terrible to ask. But the answer is you, frankly. True enough some part of you is somewhat more....non-saiyajin....than I'd be content with. But you did avenge the saiyajin race and kill Frieza. You were also the first to turn super saiyajin for a thousand years. And for that I'm proud to call you my son."  
  
Goku smiles, "Thanks father," deciding this was not a good time to say that it was actually Mirai Trunks that killed Frieza.  
  
Bardock hesitantly smiles back, but it doesn't last long. He sighs, "You'll have to go soon." Even as he speaks a white portal opens up above them.  
  
Goku looks up at it and turns back to his father, "Will I ever be able to see you again?"  
  
Bardock says, "If you go to hell."  
  
Goku yelps, "WHAT?!"  
  
Bardock sighs, "Goku, I've done some bad things in my life and now I have to pay."  
  
Goku bites his lip and says, "Well, I'll put in a good word for you to King Yemma."  
  
"Goku, if you don't hurry then the portal will close."  
  
Goku nods and waves, "Good-bye, Father. I'll miss you," then flies into the white void. Bardock waves him away, and the portal closes.  
  
ChiChi taps Goku on the shoulder, "I guess this means it works with you." Goku shrieks and falls out of his seat. ChiChi yelps, "Go-Chan! Are you all right?" bending down to him.  
  
Goku says, "Whoa. How long have I been out?" completely disoriented. Trunks, Goten and ChiChi look at him strangely.  
  
Goten says, "Dad, you've never been out."  
  
Trunks nods, "Yeah, you only put on the glove a second ago."  
  
Goku says, "But...but... nevermind. Yeah, I guess it works."  
  
ChiChi cries, "Goku! Look!" pointing at the glove.  
  
They all turn to see the glove liquidate and slowly get absorbed by Goku's skin. Goku winces as he feels his blood turn to ice. Then it goes back to normal again. Goku groans, "Oww... jeez! That felt like a brain freeze all over my body!"  
  
Trunks asks, "Hey, you're stronger, right?"  
  
Goku clenches his fists and looks at them, "My ki is enormous, but it doesn't feel any different from before."  
  
Goten asks, "Hey, you made two for us, right?"  
  
Goku looks at him, shocked, "Well, yeah. But I don't think you're-"  
  
Goten reaches into his mother's bag and chirps, "Here they are!" And before ChiChi can stop them, they put the gloves on.  
  
Goku finishes, "-ready." Trunks and Goten stare at him with blank looks on their faces, and their gloves get absorbed into their skin as well. Goku asks in a worried tone, "Are you two okay?"  
  
Trunks says slowly, "That...was...so.... COOL!!!" Goku stares at him in shock.  
  
Goten yells, "Yeah! Did you get to see your grandpa?"  
  
Trunks nods rigorously, "Uh huh! He let me off of the test. Your dad was so hopping mad!"  
  
Goten says excitedly, "My grandpa let me off the test, too. My dad was the tester too. Sorry for knocking you out."  
  
Trunks shrugs, "Eh, it's okay. Sorry for knocking you out."  
  
ChiChi asks, "Boys, was I there?"  
  
The two demi-saiyajins nods, "Uh huh. And you were the first person we knocked out."  
  
ChiChi huffs, "Honestly! You two are so violent!" She pauses when she sees the same guilty look on Goku's face. "Goku, you didn't hurt me, did you?"  
  
Goku says, "So, Goten, what did you think of your grandpa?" quickly changing the subject.  
  
Goten says thoughtfully, "Well, he's kinda weird. He kept on yapping about how I was the son of the avenger of the saiyajin race, and he told me to send you greetings. Oh yeah, Dad? What's a Frieza?"  
  
Meanwhile up in the otherworld, a certain blue skinned ogre looks up at the three, ten-foot high towers of paperwork he has on his desk. He pounds the desk, screaming, "DAMN YOU, BARDOCK!!!" But then the tremors from the desk make the paper towers start to waver and then collapse in a heap, filling the little ogre's cubicle waist high in paper. He starts to snivel and starts picking up the papers into his arms, one by one. 


	66. Gohan's rescue!

Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will.  
  
Goku walks into Gohan's room, alone. He smiles, when he sees Gohan face had regained much more color. Goku says to no one, "Looks like not sedating him, worked." He closes the door behind him so that no one can disturb them. He sighs, "Time to try again." He waits until Gohan gets another yelling fit.  
  
Then Gohan begins screaming, "No! No!! NO!!! NOT AGAIN!!! DON'T HURT THEM!!! HURT ME INSTEAD!!! JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!"  
  
Goku quickly gets up and puts his hand onto Gohan's head, "I'm here, son. I'm going to get you out."  
  
Goku focuses all his attention on concentrating, and finds himself back, once again, in the dark recesses of Gohan's captured mind. As the fog clears away, Goku sees Gohan tied up with live snakes, hanging over a pit of lava. Goku grimaces as Gohan chokes in the fumes. Not to far away he hears screams, as he turns to sees a duplicate of himself and ChiChi being tortured by invisible forces.  
  
Gohan screams, "NO! DON'T HURT THEM! I WON'T LET YOU!"  
  
Goku yells, "Gohan! I'm right here!"  
  
But Gohan can't seem to hear him, and continues screaming and struggling with all his might. Goku flies to his dream self and lies down into his duplicate's position, taking his place. Then the forces start to make their work on him. Goku screams, as they cut him, open, exposing his ribs to view.  
  
Goku growls, "Okay, I did NOT need to see that!" He fights back at the forces, with a strength that didn't belong to his duplicate, so the forces leave him and ChiChi alone. Goku flies over to Gohan, confident that he can free Gohan this time, and he starts to help him.  
  
Gohan says weakly, "Dad?"  
  
"You'll be okay, Gohan. I'm here now." Goku viciously rips the snakes off of Gohan, but some of their bites are lodged into Gohan so tightly, that their heads are still connected into Gohan's skin, even when Goku pulls away their bodies. Gohan falls into Goku's arms, overly exhausted. Goku shifts him into a better position and flies upward to get out of the mind locked prison.  
  
Suddenly Kakarot appears out of nowhere and blocks their way. Not the real Kakarot, but an illusion conjured up from Kakarot's mind, to defend his will. Goku yells, "Not you again!" Heat consumes the air, as the ground below them turns into a pit of magma. Goku looks up at Kakarot, "Serious about it this, are you? Good, I hate being played around with."  
  
Kakarot doesn't answer, but charges at Goku and Gohan. Goku can't dodge easily, because of his heavy load, so he starts fighting Kakarot one handed. Kakarot, however, seems to be winning. Goku yells, "NO! I won't let you take Gohan again!" The brute laughs at him silently.  
  
Goku clenches his fists and shakes Gohan awake, "Come on, kid. Wake up. I need you to hold onto me really tight. All right?"  
  
Gohan nods, "Okay, Dad." But as Goku loosens his hold on him, he can feel Gohan's strength sapping away, so he hurries it up. He puts his hands in front of him in and yells, "Kaaa-Meeeeee-Haaaaaaaa-Meeeeeee-HAAAAA!!!!" The huge ki blasts from his hands and hits Kakarot, totally obliterating it. At that moment Gohan loses his grip and starts falling into the lava below.  
  
Goku yells, "NO!!!" and quickly catches him. Goku sighs a breath of relief, "Oh thank Kami, you're okay." Gohan, however, had passed out. Goku starts flying upwards and thinks, {Well at least I know that I can beat a figment of Kakarot's imagination.} Then they disappear from Kakarot's mind.  
  
Goku's eyes snap open and he finds himself back in Gohan's room. He smiles when he sees Gohan's breathing is back to normal, "We made it, son. We're out."  
  
Gohan stirs and wakes up. He groans and opens his eyes, "Dad? What are you doing here?" He asks in a weak voice, "Is Kakarot gone?"  
  
Goku answers, "No. Kakarot's not gone."  
  
"I don't...understand...how?"  
  
Goku says, "Enough of that. You should rest now. Get some sleep. You look like you came back from the dead. I'll tell you when you can actually remember what I'm telling you."  
  
Gohan yawns, "What did you say?"  
  
Goku shakes his head in amusement, "Good night, Gohan."  
  
Gohan smiles, "Good night, Dad." 


	67. Applications for a replacement

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Gohan opens his eyes, his vision blurred. The ceiling slowly comes into focus and he thinks, {Jeez, that was a weird dream. Dad, here, with me. I wish I hadn't woken up from that." He tries to sit up, but pain rivets through his body. He screams, "OWW!!! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!!" He looks over his body, but doesn't see any scars or bruises or anything, but the pain is so real.  
  
Suddenly, ChiChi and Videl come running into the room. ChiChi cries, "Gohan! You're awake! Oh thank Kami, you're awake!"  
  
She practically squeezes him to death, while Videl smiles, "Dammit, Gohan. Why did you have to worry us so much?"  
  
Then Trunks and Goten shyly peek into the room. Gohan says, "Hey guys!" Goten smiles and runs up to Gohan, hugging him.  
  
Trunks gives a classic Veggie-smirk, "It's about time you woke up. We were getting your funeral ready."  
  
Gohan sweatdrops, "Exactly how long have I been out?"  
  
A voice says, "About a couple weeks. Not long enough to prepare a funeral, don't worry about that."  
  
Gohan's eyes widen, "Dad? Dad! It's you!"  
  
Goku steps into the room and smiles, "Hey, kiddo."  
  
Gohan jumps out of bed to run to his father, but as he lands, all his muscles give way to pain and he starts to fall, but Goku catches him before he hits the dirt. Then he helps his son back into bed. Gohan smiles weakly, "Well, this is embarrassing."  
  
ChiChi says scoldingly, "Oh don't be so hard on yourself. After what happened to you, I'm surprised that you had the nerve to jump out of bed."  
  
Gohan frowns, "What are you talking about? What happened to me?"  
  
Everyone looks at each other uneasily. Goku asks, "Don't you remember?"  
  
Gohan shakes his head, "Nope. The last thing I remember is Kakarot pulling a Mind Weave on me. Then next I'm here. So what happened?"  
  
Goku sees the others looking at him expectantly, so he says, "Kakarot beat you up pretty hard and knocked you out."  
  
Gohan sighs, "Yeah, I saw what happened to Vegeta. How is he? He's okay, right?"  
  
Goku scratches the back of his head and says nervously, "Uh, Gohan. I think I have a little bit of explaining to do."  
  
Days pass, and Gohan is finally strong enough to get out of bed and start training with the others. He also received his own glove. Not surprisingly, Bardock helped him out of that test, too. Now all of the remaining z-fighters are training in Vegeta's GR, keeping a pact of secrecy that they wouldn't tell Vegeta about their use of his precious training area. Meanwhile Piccolo is sulking in a corner of the GR because he thinks that the power gloves are racist.  
  
Gohan looks over at his old mentor and sighs, "Come on, Piccolo. Don't be jealous. The gloves are from an ancient saiyajin spell, note the Saiyajin part. You know how pig-headed they can be."  
  
Piccolo yells, "I am not jealous! Those things encourage discrimination!" He turns away and starts sulking again.  
  
Trunks whispers, "He is too jealous. Remember he tried Gohan's glove about a hundred times, before he would let Gohan absorb it? It was pretty funny seeing a chibi Piccolo for a while."  
  
Goten and Gohan snicker, and Piccolo tries to ignore it. Gohan suddenly realizes something and says, "Dad?"  
  
Goku looks up at Gohan from his push-ups, "Yeah, son?"  
  
"Since you're going to be fighting Kakarot in my body, I need someone to replace me as the Great Saiyaman for a while."  
  
Goten asks, "Can't Videl do it?"  
  
Gohan shrugs, "Well, she's good with little stuff. But she can't exactly handle tanks or buses flying off cliffs."  
  
Goku stands up and says, "I see your point, but who could replace you?"  
  
Trunks says, "Well, definitely not Piccolo."  
  
Piccolo demands, "Why not?!"  
  
Goten says, "You're too green and you got pointy-" Gohan quickly cups up Goten's mouth, but it's too late for Piccolo to not become extremely agitated.  
  
Gohan says, "Sorry Piccolo. You're just, uh... too tall! Yeah, that's it! You're waaaaay too tall to be the Great Saiyaman. My replacement has to be my height." Piccolo sighs, and nods, accepting Gohan's reason.  
  
Trunks kicks the ground sullenly and says, "I guess that counts me us out."  
  
Goten agrees, "Yeah, too bad. I wanted to be the Great Saiyaman. He's cool." Gohan smiles, but the others stare at Goten as if he's crazy. Goten says defensively, "What?"  
  
Goku shakes it off and says, "Well, we can count Vegeta out too. He's too short."  
  
Gohan laughs, "Besides, he said quote, "I wouldn't be caught dead in that thing," unquote." He thinks, "You know, Yamcha might be able to do it."  
  
Goku says, "Gohan, he's....."  
  
Gohan hangs his head in shame, "Oh right. I forgot. I'm sorry."  
  
Trunks huffs, "We'll never be able to find anyone to be the Great Saiyaman!"  
  
Gohan suddenly gets an idea and points to Trunks, "I think I'd know who'd be able to do it."  
  
Goku smiles with a rather mischievous glint in his eye, "Yes, he would work, wouldn't he?"  
  
Goten and Trunks demand, "Who're you talking about?"  
  
Piccolo asks, "Exactly how do you plan on getting him over here?"  
  
"Who?!"  
  
Goku says, "Well, Bulma made the machine before, she can do it again."  
  
"WHO?!"  
  
Gohan pulls at his father's shirt and says, "Come on, let's go tell her!"  
  
Goten and Trunks scream at the top of their lungs, "WHO THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" The three don't answer but eye Trunks strangely.  
  
Trunks asks, nervously, "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"  
  
Later... Bulma rubs her chin thoughtfully, "I don't know how long it'll take me to make a time machine. I've never made one before."  
  
Goku objects, "Yes, you have! Then how did Mirai Trunks get over here?"  
  
Bulma frowns, "Goku, that was in a different dimension."  
  
Goku scratches the back of his head, "Oh darn."  
  
Gohan asks, "What about that time machine that Krillen and Mirai Trunks found?"  
  
Piccolo shakes his head, "We can't use that. It's too old."  
  
Gohan says excitedly, "Yeah, but maybe we can make a replica of it!"  
  
Goku says, "That's a great idea! I'll go and get it!" He runs out the door without so much as a good-bye.  
  
5 minutes later, a loud annoying ringing filled Capsule Corps as someone bangs on the door bell at 1,000 rings a second. "RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI- RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RI-RING!!!!!!!!"  
  
Gohan looks up from Bulma's work in her lab and says, 'That's probably my dad. Wow, that was quick." He runs up to the door and finds Goku standing outside the door, with no machine whatsoever. Gohan asks, "Uh...Dad? Where's the time machine?"  
  
Goku grins sheepishly, "He he he, uh... I kinda forgot to ask for directions." Gohan falls over anime style.  
  
Now, with the time machine in Bulma's underground lab, all of which was mostly eaten away with rust and time, Bulma finally has a chance to examine it. And one can easily interpret she is ecstatic about the discovery. Bulma says in awe, "Wow! It's all so simple! Why didn't I see this before!"  
  
Gohan peeks in from the top of the stairs and asks, "Hey, Bulma? Are you okay down there?"  
  
Bulma says, "I just had a revelation!"  
  
Gohan asks, "What?"  
  
"I am a GENIUS!"  
  
Gohan leans on the stair railing and asks, "So you can make another one, right?"  
  
Bulma yells, "Of course I can! It's easy!"  
  
Gohan asks, "Well...when?"  
  
Bulma looks over the interior of the time machine again and says thoughtfully, "I could finish the ship tomorrow if I had all the spare parts. But that's the problem. I need a whole lot of titanium and a utonium generator."  
  
Gohan yelps, "A what?! You mean this thing is nuclear?!"  
  
"Well duh. What's it to you?"  
  
Gohan shrugs, "Nothing, I was just making sure."  
  
Bulma turns back to the ship and says, "Well the best I could say would be tomorrow night."  
  
Gohan says, "Alright, I'll go tell my dad." He runs upstairs into the living room, where Goku and Goten are trying to comfort a miserable Trunks.  
  
Trunks cries, "I can't believe I'm a fake! One minute I'm happy little Trunks happily living my happy little life and the next I find out I'm a wash-up! I'm worthless! I'm a good for nothing FAAAAAKE!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"  
  
Goten says sympathetically, patting his friend's back, "Don't worry second Trunks. We still like you, even if you are a fake."  
  
Goku says sharply, "Goten!"  
  
Goten frowns, "What?"  
  
Goku sighs and says, "Look, Trunks. You're the one and only Trunks from this dimension. Mirai Trunks is the one and only Trunks from his dimension. You're not him and he's not you. Besides you two have already met, but you probably won't remember. You're not a replacement. Bulma had you even before she knew who the Mirai Trunks was. So quit pitying yourself! It's uncalled for! In fact it's absolutely ridiculous! Only the weak pity themselves!"  
  
Trunks eyes Goku strangely, "Uh... Is it just me, or did you just sound like my dad?"  
  
Goku yelps, "I meant weak-minded! Weak-minded! Not weak!"  
  
Goten pipes up, "You've been in Uncle Veggie's body too long."  
  
Goku sweatdrops and turns back to Trunks, "I think you'll like Mirai Trunks anyway. Just wait until you meet him."  
  
Trunks smiles, "How can I not like myself?"  
  
Goku says cheerfully, "That's the spirit! Now dry up those tears. We need to start training again!" 


	68. Hypnotism, never trust it5, Deaf men hea...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will  
  
Gohan and Trunks watch each other in silence as Trunks gets ready to hypnotize Gohan. Both of them have queasy stomachs as Goku helps set up the room for them. Goku says, "Okay guys. We can put the patient couch over to the left, if you want it there and-"  
  
Gohan says, "Dad, it's okay. Just calm down."  
  
Goku sighs, "I just don't want anything to happen to you because of me. I really don't want to do this to you, Gohan."  
  
Gohan smiles, "Don't worry, Dad. I actually think that this could be an enlightening father-son experience."  
  
Goku says, "Well, that's one way to put it," remembering his "wonderful" time with Vegeta. "We better get this done soon though. Or Veggie's gonna be pretty cranky when he gets control back."  
  
Trunks says confidently, "Don't worry, I got it covered."  
  
Goku smiles, "Alright, it's all up to you now. Be seeing ya." He salutes them and closes the door, leaving the two alone.  
  
Trunks thinks, {Oh man! What if I do anything wrong? I'm only a kid! How do they expect me to do this?!}  
  
Gohan twiddles his fingers nervously and thinks, {Does he really know what he's doing?}  
  
Trunks says, "So."  
  
"So."  
  
"Um."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Silence.  
  
Gohan asks, "Don't you think you better get started?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Silence.  
  
Gohan yells, "Would you start already?!"  
  
Trunks yelps, "Yessir!" He takes out his gold chain and starts swinging it in front of Gohan's eyes. "Watch the coin. It goes back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth." Gohan's eyes slowly rock as his pupils follow the coin. "On the count of three you will fall asleep. One. Two. Three!" And sure enough, Gohan's chin drops onto his chest as he dozes off.  
  
Trunks thinks, {Good... now what?} "Um... Okay, when you hear the name, Son Goku, you will become your father. Repeat."  
  
"When I hear the name, Son Goku, I will become Dad."  
  
"Good, and when you hear the name, Son Gohan, you will turn back into yourself. Repeat."  
  
"When I hear the name, Son Gohan, I will turn back into myself."  
  
Trunks smiles, "Good..." He smiles sneakily, {Now for some fun.} "The next time you see Mirai Trunks... you will give him a NICE, BIG kiss. Repeat."  
  
"The hell I won't!"  
  
Trunks yelps, "What?!" He stares at Gohan, unnerved, "Ooookay... forget that then. You will wake up at the count of three. When you wake up you will remember everything I told you when I was hypnotizing you. One. Two. Three!"  
  
Gohan's eyes snap open and glares at Trunks, "So you want me to kiss Mirai Trunks, huh?"  
  
Trunks yells, "No! I can explain!"  
  
Gohan stands up and yells, "Oh can you! You little brat!"  
  
Trunks shrieks, "AH! SON GOKU! SON GOKU!" Gohan gasps and brings his hands to his head, shaking mildly. Trunks says, "Hey, Gohan? Are you okay?"  
  
Gohan looks at him confused, "Trunks, who are you talking to? I don't see Gohan here."  
  
Trunks sighs a breath of relief, "Oh right...Goku, my mistake."  
  
Gohan's stomach growls, and he grins sheepishly, "Uh.. Trunks? Can I go up down to the kitchen? I'm starving!"  
  
Trunks quickly blocks the door, "NO! I'm mean no. I don't think that would be a good idea."  
  
Gohan frowns, "What? Why not?"  
  
Trunks sweats nervously, "Because... because..."  
  
Suddenly the door opens up and slams Trunks against the wall. Goku pops in and says, "Hey, I heard someone calling my name. Do you guys need help?"  
  
Gohan stares at Goku silently, "..........................Oh hi, Veggie!"  
  
Goku yelps, "Veggie?!"  
  
Gohan rolls his eyes, "Alright, alright, Vegeta. Jeez, I thought you were used to that nickname already." He walks past a completely stunned Goku and says, "I'll see you later, Vegeta."  
  
Goku stares at Gohan as he walks down to the kitchen, and it clicks, "He's been hypnotized! Whoa!......Where's Trunks?" He looks back into the room, not finding anyone there. Suddenly he hears a low moan coming from behind the door, and closes the door to see Trunks flattened up against the wall. Goku yelps, "Trunks! Are you okay?!"  
  
Trunks moans and falls down onto the ground, passing out. Goku winces, "I didn't do that to him, did I? Oh jeez, sorry Trunks." He picks up the small boy and puts him on the patient couch to rest. Then he runs off after Gohan, before he can cause too much trouble.  
  
Goku finds Gohan in the kitchen along with Goten eating some noodles and the like from the fridge. Gohan looks up from his bowl and smiles, "Hey, Vegeta." Goten giggles, but plays along. "Hope you don't mind, but we're just helping ourselves to some lunch."  
  
Goku shrugs, "Well, I don't mind."  
  
Gohan nods, "Okay, thanks." He starts eating again, but then he looks up at Goku suspiciously, "You're acting a little strange, Vegeta. You know, nicer than usual."  
  
Goku says, "Well, I...Would you rather have me not let you have any food?!"  
  
Gohan shrugs, "Alright, you don't need to get so uptight about it."  
  
Goku folds his arms and says, "Shut up! I'm the saiyajin no ouji and I can do whatever I please, so I can.... let you eat my food," he finishes not very convincingly. Goku frowns, {Argh, I am so bad at this.}  
  
Gohan just gives his father a worried look, "Um, okay. Whatever you say, Vegeta."  
  
Just then Piccolo comes into the kitchen and demands, "Okay, who's going to use the gravity room next?"  
  
At this Gohan chokes on a piece of meat, and Goten has to slap him on the back to get him to cough it up. Gohan yelps, "You let Piccolo use the gravity room?! No fair! I want a turn!"  
  
Goku frowns, "No. I'm not letting anyone use my gravity room! Piccolo don't go near it again or...um... I will kill you."  
  
Piccolo yelps, "What?!"  
  
Gohan stares at Goku, "Is it just me, or are you having a hard time acting like yourself?"  
  
Goku thinks, {Oh come on! I'm in Vegeta's body for crying out loud! I should be able to do better than this!}  
  
Suddenly Bulma comes into the kitchen and says, "So this is where everybody is." She waves Gohan over and says, "Come on, I need your help in the lab."  
  
Gohan nods, "Okay, Bulma. I'll help," and he follows Bulma out of the kitchen.  
  
Goku yelps, "ACK! WAIT!" and runs after them.  
  
Bulma turns back to her friend, "What is it?"  
  
Goku says, "Uh....I need you to please fix the gravity room."  
  
Gohan yelps, "Please?!"  
  
Goku glares at him and pulls Bulma into a separate room. Bulma demands, "Goku, what's the matter?!"  
  
Goku says, "Actually, it's Vegeta."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Gohan's hypnotized into thinking he's me. And Trunks passed out without telling anyone else what the trigger is. So I need to go over to Korin's tower and get some senzu beans. Meanwhile, you can't let Gohan out of the house. And keep playing along with him." Goku runs out of the room and towards the front door.  
  
Bulma walks back out of the room to Gohan, who's still waiting in the hall. Gohan asks, "Hey, where did Vegeta go?"  
  
Bulma says, "Oh. Vegeta? I asked him to get something." Gohan stares at her. "I mean, he ran off somewhere and I don't know where he is."  
  
"Okay, if you say so." Gohan asks, "So what did you want me for anyway?"  
  
Bulma smiles, "Oh it was nothing, really. I'll get one of the bots to do it." Gohan suddenly feels something in his gut and winces. Bulma asks, "Goh- Goku, are you okay?"  
  
Gohan nods, "Yeah, I'm fi- AAAGH!!!" He falls to his knees and clutches at his stomach. "Something's attacking me!...From inside!"  
  
Bulma demands, "What, where?!"  
  
"My stomach."  
  
Bulma says flatly, "Goku, you have a stomachache."  
  
Gohan blinks, "A what?"  
  
"It's when you eat too much food."  
  
Gohan says, "Oh right, ChiChi warned me about those. I never thought I'd get one. OW!" He looks up at Bulma pitifully, "Am I going to die?"  
  
Bulma laughs, "Of course not, silly! Come with me." She walks down the hall a little bit and goes into the bathroom, with Gohan trailing behind. Bulma points to the sink mirror and says, "There's our medicine cabinet. There's some beige colored pills inside, that will help with your stomach." Gohan opens up the cabinet and grabs a bottle, popping a pill into his mouth. Bulma asks, "Feel better?"  
  
Gohan says in surprise, "I feel great! Could I have more of these? They taste good!"  
  
Bulma frowns, "Well, it's an herbal remedy so I guess it's okay to have more, but why do you think-" Her eyes widen as Gohan dumps the entire content of the bottle down his throat.  
  
Gohan gulps them down and grins, "Gee, thanks Bulma! Bulma, I like the sound of that, Bulma. Bulma, Bulma, Bulma! Be Bidi Bulma! Bulma Bidi Be! Anyway, see ya!" Gohan runs through the door, the_actual_door, leaving a hole in the shape of his body and runs down the stairs at top speed.  
  
Bulma stares at his energy trail, wide eyed, "Those couldn't possibility be herbal pills." She sees the empty bottle on the ground and reads the label. Then she shrieks, "Dear Kami! These aren't herbal pills! They're concentrated sugar capsules!" She screams out the door, "GOKU! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE BEIGE-WHITE PILLS! NOT THE BEIGE-CREAM PILLS!" But Gohan doesn't seem to hear her. She groans and starts running after him, "GOKU, COME BACK!"  
  
Piccolo says, "You're late," as Bulma races past him in the hall.  
  
Bulma turns on him and demands, "What?!"  
  
Piccolo points to the open front door and says, "He just flew off a little while ago."  
  
Bulma shrieks, "AAAAIEE!!! I have to go after him!!!" She runs out to the front yard, opening a hovercraft capsule, and goes off in search of Gohan.  
  
Meanwhile back in the house, Gohan walks up to Piccolo and asks, "Hey, where did Bulma go?"  
  
"She went to look for Goku."  
  
Gohan frowns at him, "But I'm right here."  
  
Piccolo looks at him, "Oh, okay." Then he does a double take, "You're Goku?!"  
  
"Um... I think so, let me check." Gohan runs to the bathroom, looks in mirror, and runs back, taking a total time of 0.0000001 seconds. "Yeah, it's me! Why? Did you think I was Kakarot or Vegeta, or even Gohan?!" Gohan starts laughing, but Piccolo just looks at him in horror.  
  
Piccolo points to the door, "I'm going to go after Bulma. Now stay in the house and don't you dare leave!" Then he goes off to look for the confused scientist.  
  
Gohan waves, "See ya later, Piccolo!.....Wonder what got into him though." He turns away, but then a sneaky smile comes to his face. "Vegeta's gone, Bulma's gone, Piccolo's gone, which means only one thing.... Time to go into the gravity room!"  
  
He runs over to the GR and looks inside to see that it's unoccupied, "Cool!... But should I really be doing this? Vegeta said not to use it...." He shrugs, "Well what he doesn't know won't hurt him." He closes the door and fiddles with the dial. "-1 to 8000. -1000 to 800! Wow! If I move them fast I can feel my stomach flip!"  
  
Then he spins the dial all the way and accidentally breaks it. Suddenly he slams against the ground unable to move at all. He uses all of his strength to look up at the dial to see it's stuck on 10,000. He sighs, "I'm in trouble."  
  
An hour later, Gohan has managed to crawl to the door and release the room from the gravity change. Gohan says, "Man, I am never going to go above 1,000 ever again." He stands up, but the moment he makes his first step, he rockets up to the ceiling and hits his head. "OUCH!" Then he sees how high he can bounce. "Whoa! Awesome!" He bounces up and down, and up and down, and up and down.  
  
Goten happens to walk by, so he stops to stare at Gohan, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Um, just bouncing. Want to join me? It's fun!"  
  
Goten laughs, "Okay! How?"  
  
Gohan says, "Just go into the gravity room for an hour. But warn me, if 10,000's too much for you."  
  
Yet another hour later, the effects of the GR haven't worn off on Gohan yet, and Goten also joined him in bouncing all over the house. Goten laughs, "This is so fun!" As the two demi-saiyajins race around Capsule Corps.  
  
Gohan smiles, "It sure is. Hmmm. Sure. I wonder why it sounds like shur, but spelt like soor. Shur. Soor. Shur. Soor. I think soor sounds a whole lot better than shur, don't you? Soor. Soor. Soor. Soor. I'm going to say soor from now on!"  
  
Goten giggles, "You're silly!"  
  
Gohan says, "I'm not silly! Clowns are silly! So I'll be a clown! And the first thing clowns need are pies! Follow me!" They bounce over to the kitchen where they find a stash of meringue pies in the one of the fridges. He suppresses a sneaky grin and picks out two. As soon as Goten bounces into the kitchen, Gohan pies him in the face.  
  
Goten looks at him in disbelief, then also grabs a couple pies and chucks them over at Gohan. Gohan stares at him stunned, but then the two suddenly burst into fits of laughter. That's the start of the pie fight. The kitchen turns into a total war zone, as pies are tosses, left to right, up to down, and every other direction you can think of.  
  
Suddenly Goten perks up, "You know, you don't really look like a clown..."  
  
Gohan stops the pie war and frowns, "Hey, you're right. Where would I be able to get some clothes though?"  
  
Goten points to Gohan's watch and says, "That thingy on your wrist has clothes."  
  
Gohan says in surprise, "Really?" then notices the watch on his wrist, "Whoa, how did that get there? I never wore a watch before." He presses the red button, and the Great Saiyaman outfit digitizes itself onto Gohan. Gohan exclaims, "Wow! These are perfect! These are exactly what clowns would wear!"  
  
Goten sweatdrops, "But-"  
  
Gohan says, "Come on! Let's go find some clown make up!"  
  
"Okay!" They bounce all over the house looking for makeup, tearing up the house and making an overall mess. Finally they both bounce into Bulma's room. Goten smiles, "Hey! There's some make up in there," pointing to Bulma's make up set.  
  
Gohan says, "Cool. Okay, Goten, put this stuff on for me."  
  
Goten grins and takes up a stick of lipstick in his hand and a powder puff in the other. Unfortunately he goes a little overboard with the two, making Gohan look more like a Picasso than a clown. Goten chirps, "All done!"  
  
Gohan looks in a mirror and yelps, "Yikes! Is this what clowns really look like?!"  
  
Goten pouts, "I tried my best."  
  
Gohan smiles and ruffles Goten's hair, "And you did a great job." Suddenly their ears perk as they hear the front door opening.  
  
Gohan whispers, "I think Vegeta's back. Let's pie him!" Goten nods excitedly with a mischievous smile on his face. They race to the kitchen and hide behind the counter, waiting for "Vegeta" to show up. They hear the door creak, and throw the pastries at him, "Eat pie Vegeta!"  
  
That's when the two see... Piccolo totally covered with pie. Goten says, "Um... that ain't Uncle Veggie."  
  
Gohan laughs, "It's close enough!"  
  
Piccolo yells, "You goddamn punks! I'll get you!" But he's totally blinded by the meringue pie, and he can't see the two.  
  
Gohan says, "Just try and hit us!" Piccolo growls angrily and scoops some pies up from the counter, throwing them at wherever he hears Gohan and Goten mocking him.  
  
Goten zips behind Piccolo and pokes him, "Here I am, Mr. Piccolo!" Piccolo throws a pie behind him only to hit the fridge.  
  
Gohan yells from on top of the counter, "Hey Piccolo!" He zips away and a pie hurls at the cabinet.  
  
Goten yells, "Over here!"  
  
"No! Here!"  
  
"Woops, ya missed!"  
  
"Try here!"  
  
"Maybe over here?"  
  
"Nope! Missed again!"  
  
"Hey! I'm back from-" This time Piccolo's aim is true.  
  
Piccolo yells triumphantly, "HA! I got you, you punk!"  
  
Gohan laughs, "Piccolo! You didn't get either of us! You hit Vegeta! Oh this is too perfect! Ha ha!"  
  
Piccolo yelps, "Vegeta?!" Sure enough, when he manages to wipe away the goo from his face, he sees a very annoyed Goku at the door, with apple filling dripping down his face.  
  
Goku grits his teeth and demands, "What did you do that for, eh, Piccolo?"  
  
Piccolo says quickly, "Well I was, they were...uh.. Oh nevermind. Blast me if you want to."  
  
Goten says, "Yeah! Blast him! Use Final Flash!"  
  
Goku says, "Blasting doesn't sound like such a bad idea." He picks up two pies and hurls them at Gohan and Goten's faces.  
  
Piccolo sighs a breath of relief, "I knew you would believe me." But Goku throws another pie, hitting Piccolo square in the face. Goku laughs, "Now you all got pied!" but then he notices that all three had pies in their hands. "Uh-oh. AAAAAHH!" Goku runs out of the kitchen with Piccolo, Gohan and Goten at his heels, throwing pies and generally missing.  
  
The light-footed demi-saiyajins soon overtake their father, but Goku skids to a stop at a corner, and Gohan and Goten go plowing into the wall. Gohan quickly recovers and keeps running after Goku, running into wall after wall after wall. However Goten decides to "take a nap" after his first crash.  
  
After many corners and close calls, Goku sees that Piccolo is the only one that's close to him. He looks up ahead, when he suddenly sees Bulma standing right in front of him. He yelps and skids to a stop. Piccolo see her and follows Goku's lead.  
  
Bulma glares at them in fury and screams loud enough to wake the dead, "WHO THE HELL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MESS?!" And the whole house truly is a mess. Walls are crumbling, furniture overturned, things all over the floor emptied from drawers, the gravity room broken, and there is pie everywhere.  
  
That's when Gohan brings up the rear. "Watch out!" He tries skidding to a stop, but his momentum is too great, and he trips and starts sliding straight for Bulma. "AAAAHH!"  
  
However Goku and Piccolo quietly step out of Gohan's way, and he slides straight into Bulma, knocking her head over heels, and crashing into the wall behind her, obliterating it.  
  
Bulma moans and gets up from the floor, rubbing a bump on her head. She walks over to Gohan, who looks up at her from the floor, grinning sheepishly. Her blood boils, and she starts her ultimate attack, the Sonic Boom. "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT A MESS YOU MADE?! YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PICK UP, FIX AND CLEAN EVERY DAMN THING IN THIS HOUSE-" etc. etc. etc.  
  
Goku and Gohan cup up their ears, before they got the full impact, but Piccolo wasn't so lucky. Bulma's screaming hit him full force, and he huddles over in pain, screaming, "AAAH!" But his voice is lost in Bulma's yelling.  
  
"-AND I HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE WITH VEGETA BREAKING THE GRAVITY ROOM! I DON'T NEED YOU TO HELP HIM! AND DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO REPAIR EVERYTHING?! YOU'RE GOING TO WORK YOUR BUTT OFF UNTIL YOU PAY FOR EVERYTHING! COMPRENDE?!"  
  
Finally Bulma stops screaming.only to notice the bit of red on Gohan's face, hiding under his hand. She stiffens and says slowly, "Is that makeup? MY makeup?" Gohan shakes his head vigorously, allowing Bulma to see the passion red lipstick even better. She screams, "HOW DARE YOU GO INTO MY ROOM! HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT GOING THROUGH MY THINGS! ESPECIALLY MY SPECIAL EDITION 'A VOS CHATS' MAKEUP SET VEGETA GOT ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY!"  
  
Gohan turns to look at Goku, who just sweatdrops and shrugs. Bulma clenches her fists in anger and charges at Gohan, "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY, SON GOHAN!"  
  
Gohan twinges a bit, and screams as Bulma literally jumps on top of him and attempts to beat him up. He says desperately, "Bulma! Get off! I'm sorry! Dad, help!"  
  
Goku's eyes widen, "Gohan?"  
  
Gohan yells, "No kidding! Get Bulma off of me!" Goku quickly grabs Bulma by the waist, lifting her off of his son. Gohan jumps up from the ground, and says with relief, "Thanks Dad. I gotta go wash this stuff off of my face!"  
  
He runs off towards the nearest bathroom, and Bulma screams, "HEY! COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" but he's already gone. Bulma sighs, "You can let go of me now, Goku. I'm calm."  
  
Goku nods and gently lets her down to her feet. Then he asks, "What do you think happened, Bulma?"  
  
Bulma says, "I guess he regained his senses and went back to being Gohan." She scowls and clenches a fist, "But he still has to pay for ruining my house!"  
  
Goku whispers to Piccolo, "Boy, he's sure going to get it later. Right, Piccolo?" Piccolo doesn't even respond. Not even a nod of acknowledgement. Goku cocks his head and frowns, "Strange. Hellooo. Earth to Piccolo. Are you there?" Still no response. Goku suddenly yells, "Piccolo! Can you hear me?!" But Piccolo doesn't even flinch. Goku turns to Bulma and says accusingly, "Now look at what you did! You made him deaf!"  
  
Bulma laughs, "Oh come on. My voice couldn't possibly do that!"  
  
Goku sweatdrops, and scratches the back of his head, "Well, Piccolo does have sensitive ears."  
  
Bulma yells, "Then I'll just prove you wrong!" She stands next to the green giant and says, "Hey, Piccolo. You can hear me, right?" Yet again, no response. She narrows her eyes, "Piccolo, this isn't funny."  
  
"You know Piccolo isn't much of a joker."  
  
Bulma ignores him and yells, "Piccolo!" But still no response. Then Bulma screams at the top of her lungs, "PICCOLO!!! ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!!!"  
  
Piccolo looks in their direction and asks, "What did you say Goku? I couldn't catch it." 


	69. Hearing problems and temptations

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Bulma, Goku, and the two revived demi-saiyajins watch the doctor as he examines Piccolo's ears. Bulma sighs and looks at her watch, "What in the world is taking Gohan so long? He should have come out of the bathroom by now."  
  
Goku asks, "Are you still mad at him for ruining your house?"  
  
Bulma says dismissively, "Oh that. It's alright. I just got a little carried away. Besides the cleaning bots are doing such a great job with it," pointing to a couple knee high robots sweeping up the crumbly debris of the drywall.  
  
Goten looks up at Piccolo behind the doctor and asks, "Hey, mister. Is Mr. Piccolo going to be deaf forever?" his voice full of concern.  
  
The doctor smiles and pats Goten's head, "Don't worry about him, sonny. He'll be fine. The damage is just temporary, but it'll take a little while to heal back to its full potential. Meanwhile he can take this medicine," he hands a bottle of pills to Piccolo, "that will speed up the healing process. And," he hands a brown paper wrapped package to Piccolo, "this is also for you."  
  
Piccolo looks at it hesitantly and opens it up. Then he does something no one has ever seen him do before, he turns pale. He sets the package on the table and pushes it away in total humiliation.  
  
Goku frowns and picks up the package to look at its contents. and then he starts laughing his head off, "Oh Kami! I can't believe it! A hearing aid!" Everyone stares at him in disbelief, but sure enough follow suit. Piccolo blushes, a purplish hue rising to his cheeks.  
  
Bulma says, "Well, thank you doctor," still giggling, "you've been a great help." And she starts leading him to the front door.  
  
The doctor watches them with a puzzled expression and says, "No problem." He walks out onto the front lawn and says, "Call me if his hearing doesn't improve in a couple days." Bulma nods, and closes the door. Then she goes back to the living room, where she sees Goku and the boys trying to convince Piccolo to put on his hearing aid.  
  
Bulma laughs, "Come on, Piccolo. This is for your own good."  
  
Goku shrugs, "Well, he's going to have to put it on sometime."  
  
Trunks grins impishly, "And when he does," he whips out a camera out of nowhere, "I'm going to take a picture of it!"  
  
Goten smiles, "Who'd a thunk we'd see the day Mr. Piccolo has to wear a hearing thingy!"  
  
Just then Gohan comes downstairs from the bathroom, covering up his face in embarrassment. He asks, sounding very distressed, "Bulma, how long is that lipstick supposed to last?"  
  
Bulma frowns, "Until you wash it off. Why do you ask?"  
  
Gohan moans and takes his hands off his face, revealing bright, crimson cheeks. "I can't get it off."  
  
Seeing his face, Trunks and Goten burst into laughter and giggle simultaneously, "You look like Chiaotzu!"  
  
The demi-saiyajin demands, "Why the heck are you laughing, Goten? You're the one who put it on me!"  
  
Goten's eyes go wide, and he looks down at his feet, "I'm sorry Gohan. I shouldn't have laughed."  
  
Trunks grins impishly, "Well, I think it's still funny," and seats himself onto the couch with his camera in hand.  
  
Gohan decides to ignore the violet haired troublemaker and turns to his father, "Dad, remind me never to go anywhere near sugar again."  
  
Goku frowns in confusion, "Uh.sure Gohan," not really understanding the reason behind the request.  
  
Bulma takes Gohan's hand and starts to pull him back upstairs, "Come on you. Let's see if some makeup remover will work."  
  
All the meanwhile nobody notices when Piccolo finally puts on his hearing aid and tries to get out of the house without grabbing anyone's attention. Unfortunately he grabs Gohan's. Gohan asks, "Hey Piccolo, where are you going?"  
  
Piccolo stiffens up and turns around, covering the ear with the hearing aid. Then he says rather quickly, "Well, I, uh. I was just going back to the lookout, so I'll see you! Bye!" and so he tries to flee.  
  
But Trunks yells, his face lit up with mischievous glee, "Hey! He can hear us! He has his hearing aid on!"  
  
Goten points to him, "Quick! Get him!"  
  
Gohan frowns, "Hearing aid? What the he-." His eyes widen as he understands the situation, "Holy cow! This I have to see!" Piccolo freezes up and tries to run, but the demi-saiyajins pounce on him while Trunks tries to take a picture with his camera. Bulma and Goku sweatdrop as they watch the kids' antics.  
  
Piccolo focuses his mind and suddenly Trunks' camera breaks in his hands. Trunks yelps, "Piccolo! You ass! You broke my camera!"  
  
Meanwhile. Kakarot goes on yet another killing spree. This time not with careful planning, but only out of blind rage. As he flies over the city, he blasts every human that he sees, including little girls, pregnant women, teenagers, old men, anyone that comes within his sights.  
  
He screams out to the city, "Die! Die! DIE! I hate you humans! You humans spawned the woman that bore my sons! And you will die for it!"  
  
People scream in terror as they try to escape, but Kakarot never misses. In his rampage, he comes upon a father trying to protect his little son. Kakarot pauses, suddenly seeing himself down there protecting Goten. He seethes with anger and yells, "I HATE YOU!!" and throws an impossibly huge blast at the two, disintegrating their bodies.  
  
The citizens around him scream, "He's insane!" "A monster!" "Run for your lives!"  
  
At the other end of the city, Videl, patrolling the skies in her saiyaman2 outfit, notices the humungous amount of smoke coming from the direction of Kakarot. She frowns, "What in the- Oh my god! It's him! Kakarot! I didn't think he was going to come to Satan City!"  
  
As she sees another huge explosion, she clenches her fists and growls, "That freak! I'll get him! but Gohan would get so mad if he knew I went after Kakarot." Then another explosion changes her mind, "Man! I can't let him go on with this! Well, what Gohan doesn't know won't hurt him."  
  
Videl blazes off in the direction of the blasts, but after a little flight she notices a clearing ahead of her. She frowns, "What the- Where are all the buildings?" But as she gets closer she sees her answer.  
  
Ruins and flames. Corpses and dismembered parts littering the ground, either charred or slowly being licked up by the fires. Videl covers her mouth, afraid of she dares to open it she might vomit. She thinks, {Oh my god. How can anyone do this?}  
  
Insane laughter floats to her ears from behind the smoke and Videl slowly flies into it to investigate. She sees Kakarot had spotted a small group of school children and was just about to blast them. Videl screams, "NOOO!" and flies at Kakarot, kicking him in the head, distracting him long enough to allow the children to escape.  
  
Kakarot cricks his neck from the bent position that Videl kicked it into. Not noticing Videl right away, he looks down to see that the children are gone from his sight. He mumbles, "Oh well, I'll get them eventually. Now who hit me?"  
  
"I'm up here you big lummox!" Kakarot looks up and sees someone wearing the stupidest costume he's ever seen. Even stupider than what Gohan was wearing. As the person flies closer, Kakarot notices it's a girl. And in fact the costume is very similar to Gohan's. He frowns with thought, {That's very similar to his suit alright. This onna must know him then. But what is her relationship to Gohan? Is she a rival or an ally of his?}  
  
The girl yells, "Stop your killing or else!"  
  
Kakarot laughs and turns around to face her, "Or else what, little girl?"  
  
"Or else I'll make you!" She clenches a fist and points the other one at him, "You'll pay for what you did Kakarot!"  
  
Again Kakarot frowns, "How do you know my name?"  
  
"My partner in crime fighting told me about you, freak. He told me all about you. You and your-"  
  
Kakarot cuts her off in the middle of her speech, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. But how well do you know Gohan?"  
  
Videl growls, feeling a little ticked at his arrogance, then she says proudly, "I'll have you know that he's my boyfriend! Do you have a problem with that?"  
  
Kakarot pales, his mind racing with more demi-saiyajin freaks, "Actually, I do. But rest assured the problem will be fixed." Without warning he fires a ki attack at her, but she dodges it, the blast singing her clothes. Kakarot thinks, {So, she's obviously faced regular ki attacks before, well I won't underestimate her this time.} He yells, "SAIYAN RAGE!" and throws his favorite attack at Videl.  
  
Before Videl knows it, the blast hits her, and she falls out of the sky onto the ground below, severely burned. Barely able to breath, her blurry vision allows her to see Kakarot land and walk up next to her. She thinks, {What was I thinking? Attacking Kakarot all by myself? It would be like attacking Goku!}  
  
Kakarot puts his foot on top of her head and growls, "This is for even thinking about going near my son."  
  
Videl pleads mentally, {Please forgive me, Gohan.} Then Kakarot slams his foot down.  
  
At that very moment, in the distant West City. Gohan suddenly shivers, attracting the attention of Krillen sitting beside him on the couch. Krillen asks, "Hey, are you all right?"  
  
Gohan frowns, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got the shivers."  
  
The next morning. Bulma's voice rings throughout the house, yelling, "The time machine's ready! Come out to the front lawn!"  
  
Goten and Trunks look up from their game, and Goten smiles at each other, "Cool! Let's go see!" They run out and see that Piccolo, Gohan, and Goku are already out. Goku is looking more sweaty than usual, making it apparent that Bulma interrupted him in the middle of his training.  
  
Goten looks up at the machine in awe. It's much similar in structure to the model she based it on, however, it's a bit larger, giving enough room to seat two people. Bulma smiles, noticing Goten's wonder, "So what do you think of it, Goten?"  
  
Goten grins, "It's so cool! I wanna ride it!"  
  
Bulma looks up at the other and says, "I modified it a bit from the original design so that it runs on solar power. It won't ever need fuel, and it can carry much more weight."  
  
Goten crawls up to the machine and points to the panel, "What does this do? And this? And that one?"  
  
The blue haired scientist laughs and answers, "I'll show you, Goten. Gohan you better listen up too. It's more than likely you'll be the one using it."  
  
She goes out on an all out tutorial about how to use it, taking up a long time, and giving Goku a sever headache. He solves the problem by just ignoring Bulma and resting under a tree, letting her continue the lesson. It's not long though before Piccolo decides it's a waste of time, and Trunks gets bored. So they accompany Goku in his resting spot. Goten and Gohan are the only ones listening as Bulma finishes up the lecture.  
  
Bulma looks over at the other three, quite annoyed and says, "Goten, why don't you go wake them up?"  
  
Goten nods cheerfully, "Okay!" and hops out of the machine, to wake the others.  
  
Bulma turns to Gohan and asks, "So when do you plan on leaving? I assume that you're the one that's going to go."  
  
Goten comes up to them and whines, "But I wanna drive it." Bulma and Gohan look at the other three and sweatdrop seeing that Goten "woke" them up with ki blasts.  
  
Gohan frowns, crossing his arms, "Goten, I think I'm speaking for Mom when I say this too, you're too young to go off on your own."  
  
Goten protests, "But I know everything that I need to do to drive it! I paid attention the whole time! Isn't that right, Aunt Bulma?"  
  
Bulma says evasively, "Well, Goten, you did, but I agree with Gohan. You're just too small to operate a machine like this."  
  
Goku walks up and asks, "What's the problem?"  
  
Goten tugs at his father's gi and says, "Daddy, they won't let me drive the time machine, but I paid attention to Aunt Bulma's lesson the whole entire time! And you would let me drive it, wouldn't you?" making the biggest puppy dog eyes he can with Goku.  
  
Goku says, "I don't see what's wrong with it."  
  
Gohan says unbelievingly, "Dad!"  
  
The saiyajin frowns, "What?"  
  
Bulma insists, "Goku, it's just too dangerous. He could get lost, or the time machine could get wrecked, making him get stuck in a different timeline forever!"  
  
Goku says, 'Well, in that case. Goten, these two probably know best."  
  
Bulma frowns, "What do you mean_probably_?"  
  
Goten pouts, "But I wanna drive it."  
  
Goku sighs, "Sorry son. Maybe when you get older." Goku takes up Goten into his arms and starts to bring him into Capsule Corps.  
  
Bulma turns back to Gohan, "So when are you going to leave?"  
  
Gohan answers, "Probably tomorrow morning."  
  
Goten, who was listening in on their conversation, asks, "Daddy? Can we stay here the night?"  
  
Goku smiles, "Sure, if it makes you feel better."  
  
The demi-saiyajin turns his gaze back to the impressive machine basking in the glow of the dawn's early light, "It makes me feel a lot better." 


	70. Missing Time Machine and Half Saiyajin K...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Gohan puts down the phone again and picks it up, dialing the same number he's been dialing for the past two hours already. Goku walks into the living room wearing some boxers that served for pajamas, yawning and looking at Gohan funny seeing him stay up so late. Goku asks, "Gohan, what are you doing up? It's past midnight."  
  
Gohan turns and looks at his father with somewhat of a guilty expression, "Oh sorry Dad. I'm just trying to get a hold of Videl. I tried her house, but she wasn't there. And her cell phone doesn't seem to be working either."  
  
Goku frowns, a worried look on his face, "You don't think that she."  
  
The demi-saiyajin laughs, "Oh no, course not," not wanting to accept the idea. "Her cell's probably just isn't working."  
  
Goku smiles, "Yeah, the batteries are probably dead."  
  
However, at the word dead, Gohan cringes slightly, but puts the phone back onto the handle. "I didn't wake you up, did I, Dad?"  
  
His father shakes his head and says, "Nah, don't worry about it. I was just getting something to drink." He heads over to the kitchen and gets a glass of milk. Then he calls from the kitchen, "By the way, do you know if Goten's asleep yet? I saw that his bed was empty."  
  
Gohan picks up the phone again and dials Videl's house number again, "He's probably still up playing video games with Trunks or something. --- Oh hello? Is Videl there yet? No? Oh sorry, won't bother you again." He hangs up the phone and scowls, "Jeez, Herc's touchy."  
  
However, Goku frowns, "You said playing with Trunks? But Trunks was asleep two hours ago."  
  
The demi-saiyajin looks at him in surprise, "Two hours-" He gets cut off by an enormous whirring sound coming from just outside the house. He yelps, "Oh my god! The time machine!"  
  
Goku pales, a look of pure horror on his face. Without a word he runs out into the cold evening, glass still in hand, although trailing its contents all over the ground, and he quickly surveys the back yard. The time machine is nowhere in sight.  
  
Gohan quickly comes up to him and sees the situation. A feeling of shock overwhelms him and he drops to his knees. Quietly he says, "Goten.he's gone."  
  
Then the blue haired scientist comes out onto the lawn, wearing a bathrobe over her pajamas, shivering in the cold, soon followed by Trunks, "What is going on here? Why is there milk all over the floor? Why did I hear-" She gasps when she sees that her precious time machine is gone. She shrieks, "Holy- Where the hell is the time machine?!"  
  
Gohan says quietly, "Goten took it.He's gone."  
  
Trunks yelps, "Gone?! What do you mean gone?! Goten couldn't have just left like that!"  
  
Goku suddenly crushes the glass in his hand, shocking the other three. He looks down at the ground, an unreachable grief in his voice, "How could I have been so stupid?!"  
  
Gohan frowns, saying warily, "Dad? What are you talking about?"  
  
His father yells, "I should have known that he would do something like this! He asked me to spend the night here and I agreed!" He brings his hands close to his face and balls them into fists, "I should have seen what he was up to!"  
  
Never having seen Goku this upset before, Bulma, Trunks and Gohan don't know what to do. So Gohan takes up Goku's usual role as the optimistic one, "Cheer up a little Dad. It wasn't really your fault. And what's done is done. All we can do now is wait and see if he'll come back."  
  
Suddenly, an adult, male voice from behind them says, "But I am back." 


	71. The new Goten and parental responsibilit...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Bulma, Trunks, Gohan and Goku's head whip around to settle upon a mysterious form hiding in the shade of the Capsule Corps building. Goku slowly turns around and cautiously steps towards the figure, "G-Goten?"  
  
The man shakes slightly with laughter and steps out into the light of Capsule Corps' night lamps. They stare at the new guy completely shocked. Goten asks, "Yeah, Dad. It's me. What, you don't recognize me?"  
  
Nobody can blame Goku for that at this point. Goten changed.a lot. First off he looks the same age as Goku. Second, his face no longer holds its former innocent appeal, but is replaced by narrow eyes and a semi-smile. Third, his hair doesn't look the same. It's cut in the same style that Gohan had it when he was fighting Cell. Fourth, he's wearing a completely black gi, with the exception of a dark purple chest plate with one small shoulder plate attached to it. And he also has a sword.  
  
This Goten looks nothing like the little boy that they all knew and loved. This, however, made absolutely no difference to Goku. He runs up to Goten and brings him into a powerful, bear hug. Goten frowns at his father, feeling slightly awkward. Goku steps out of the hug and smiles, "Goten, you really had me worried there! I thought we lost you forever! Now look at you!" He surveys him and says proudly, "Just look at how you're grown! You're just as tall as me now!" He turns to Gohan and says good-naturedly, "Gohan still has a little catching up to do, right Gohan?"  
  
Gohan says in disbelief, "Dad!"  
  
Goten frowns, not quite expecting this sort of reception, "Um.don't you want little me back?"  
  
Goku says, "Of course! Of course! But just because you're not the same Goten that I remember doesn't mean I can't be proud of you, right?"  
  
The new form of the demi-saiyajin sweatdrops, "I guess."  
  
Goku asks, looking around, "So where's the time machine anyway? I better go and find our Goten now."  
  
Goten points over his shoulder to a great old machine, residing behind a tree, "Mirai Trunks is still in it though. He was waiting for me to cue him in on when to come out."  
  
Bulma's face lights up, "You actually got Mirai? Wow! I didn't think you'd remember after spending all that time going through time!"  
  
Goten scratches the back of his head and says, "Well, actually.I was looking for him the whole time so he could tell me how to get back home." Everyone sweatdrops at the statement.  
  
Trunks says in disbelief, "That's what you were doing the whole time?! Jeez! You may have gotten bigger, but you're still just as dumb." Goten frowns, feeling a little ticked.  
  
Then he turns towards the time machine and yells, "You can come out now Mirai!"  
  
The machine opens up and reveals the same Mirai that left them after the Cell games. In fact he still had the same, torn up, old clothes. Mirai says exasperated, "You could give a guy a little time to recover! Jeez, I wasn't even there for two days!"  
  
Trunks stiffens, hearing this older version use one of his favorite words. Goku asks, "We didn't get you before you defeated the androids and Cell, did we?"  
  
Mirai hops out of the time machine and says, "Nah, I just defeated them yesterday.In my time, I mean. How much time passed anyway?"  
  
Goten says, "30 years," but Goku answers correctly, "8 years."  
  
Mirai looks around them and fixes his gaze upon the nine year old demi- saiyajin now shrinking behind the rest of the group. He smiles, "I guess that that's little me. I don't think you remember me, huh?" talking to Trunks directly.  
  
Trunks just says, "Uh.."  
  
Goku says, "Well, as long as you're getting acquainted, I'm going to look for our Goten." He jumps into the driver's seat of the time machine and looks down at the control panel, "Uh, Bulma? How do you start this thing?"  
  
Bulma walks up and points to a big red button, "This one.but are you sure you can use this thing?"  
  
Goku smiles, "No problem! I can do it. If not, I'll just learn it on the way!" He quickly closes the hood and starts it up before Bulma can object. The machine rises into the sky and vanishes into thin air.  
  
Gohan frowns, looking up, "I guess it's too late to stop him."  
  
Mirai asks, "What am I doing here anyway?"  
  
Bulma turns and asks, "Didn't Goten tell you?"  
  
Goten smiles guiltily, "Actually, I forgot why you guys wanted him." Everyone sans Goten and Mirai falls over anime style.  
  
Mirai eyes them suspiciously, "Is there something that you want to tell me?"  
  
Gohan laughs nervously and says, "Well, we kind of need a favor from you."  
  
The demi-saiyajin smiles, "You guys know I'd do anything for you, just tell me what's going on."  
  
Gohan continues, rather uneasy, "Well, Vegeta is, um.sharing his body with my dad."  
  
Mirai's face fell instantly, "Wha."  
  
Bulma takes Mirai's hand and starts to lead him into the house, "Come inside. Gohan will explain everything to you."  
  
A couple hours later. Gohan finally finishes explaining everything to Mirai.except for that last little detail of why they needed him in the first place.  
  
Mirai just stares at them all and finally breaks his long silence, "Well, you've been busy while I was gone, haven't you?"  
  
Trunks nods, "Ain't that the truth."  
  
Mirai shifts in his seat on the couch and asks, "So you guys want me here to help fight Kakarot, right?"  
  
Gohan says uneasily, "Um.Not exactly."  
  
Mirai frowns, "What then?"  
  
Suddenly, the doorbell rings, and Bulma says, "I'll get it," standing up from her seat to get the door. She opens up the door to reveal Goku standing in the doorway, wearing some very strange clothes, specifically a traditional, Scottish kilt and a bubble hat over his regular gi which is in shambles, and he's looking very haggard and tired. She exclaims, "Goodness! Goku, what happened to you?!"  
  
The saiyajin says drearily, "I couldn't find him." He steps into the house and drops onto the couch. Sensing his mood, Mirai and Gohan subtly scooch away from him.  
  
Bulma frowns, "I probably should have told you sooner, you probably wouldn't have gotten him, without stealing a Goten from a different dimension."  
  
Goku's eyes widen and he demands, "Why didn't you tell me before I wasted twenty years looking for him?!"  
  
Trunks eyes Goku strangely, "You can't have spent twenty years looking for Goten. You don't look a day older!"  
  
Goku protests, "But I did!"  
  
Gohan frowns, "Dad, it does seem very unlikely."  
  
"I'm telling you that I did!" Goku yells angrily, getting up from the couch.  
  
"And you're telling us that in that whole time, Vegeta managed to never get control back of his body," Bulma asks skeptically.  
  
Goku says uneasily, "Well yeah," scratching the back of his head.  
  
Gohan sighs, "Forget it Dad." Then he says sadly, "So we aren't going to see our Goten again." He moans and puts his head in his hands, "God, Mom is going to freak."  
  
The mentioned demi-saiyajin asks somewhat miserably, "She isn't going to like me?"  
  
"Well, it might be a bit of a shock for her," Goku says, patting his son's back.  
  
Trunks frowns, eyeing Goku's clothes, "Don't you want to change out of that?"  
  
Goku moans, leaning back further into the couch, "Please don't talk to me."  
  
There is an uncomfortable silence, mostly revolving around the Son family, so Mirai tries to start up a conversation, "Uh, so how do I fit into the picture if I'm not going to be fighting Kakarot?"  
  
Bulma says quickly, "We didn't say you aren't going to, we just need you to do something for Gohan until the guys really, really, really need you."  
  
Mirai frowns, "Well, I said I would help, but I need to know what it is I'm going to do sometime, right?"  
  
Gohan scratches the back of his head nervously, "Well, I kind of have a part time job as a super hero over at Satan City."  
  
"Satan WHAT?!"  
  
Bulma sighs, "That moron took credit for all the work that you guys did beating Cell, and now he's rich and famous and the city's named after him."  
  
Mirai narrows his eyes, "You're kidding, right?"  
  
Bulma shakes her head, "No, I'm not."  
  
"Okay, so.WHY HAVEN'T YOU GUYS BEATEN HIM UP ALREADY?!"  
  
Goku looks up from his resting position on the couch and says, "Come on Mirai, we don't want to be big celebrities and have our faces plastered everywhere."  
  
Trunks and Goten immediately pipe up, "I wouldn't mind!"  
  
Mirai sighs, "Oh fine. So I guess while Son-San is going to be sharing your body then you want me to take over your job, right?"  
  
Gohan nods, "Uh huh."  
  
"And I'm guessing this superhero has a disguise and you're the hidden identity."  
  
"Right."  
  
Mirai asks, genuinely curious, "So what is it?"  
  
Trunks gives Gohan a death glare worthy enough to be called Vegeta's own. Oblivious to the harsh look Gohan smiles cheerfully and gets up from his seat, pushing the red button on his watch that Bulma gave him.  
  
Then the trademark saiyaman clothes digitize onto him. The long green shirt that looks like a dress, the red cape, the white bandana covering his hair, and the really thick sunglasses. Gohan immediately breaks into a pose and says in a slightly deeper, super hero voice, "I am the defender of justice, protector of this city.." (Yada, yada, yada.) .I am the Great Saiyaman!!!" As he strikes his final pose, fireworks and confetti come out of nowhere, surrounding him.  
  
Mirai just stares..and stares..and stares.. Suddenly he breaks into fits of hysterical laughter, so hard tears come to his eyes. In between those tears, he manages to speak while gasping for breath, "Oh my.god. That was so. FUNNY!! Ha HA! You really got me there, Gohan! At first I thought you were SERIOUS!!"  
  
Gohan's shoulders slump, and Trunks looks away completely mortified. Even Bulma, Goten, and Goku have sweatdrops forming at the back of their heads. Trunks mutters, "If only he knew."  
  
That's when Mirai notices that no one is laughing with him. He chuckles nervously, "Gohan-san, you're not serious.right? I mean, you can't POSSIBLY expect me to dress up in something as stupid as THAT. We're, we're just joking around."  
  
Looking a little desperate he turns to his past counterpart, but Trunks just gives him a look that made it clear it's hopeless for him. Mirai shakily flops down onto the couch and says, "Oh my god, Gohan.Anything but that! Please, anything but THAT!"  
  
Gohan shakes his head, "Mirai, I need you on this. Someone needs to protect the city, while my dad's occupying my body." He frowns, "That sounded wrong didn't it?"  
  
The group collectively nod their heads. Gohan sighs, but then brightens up, "Good thing is, you'll be working with Videl."  
  
"Who's Videl?"  
  
Gohan blushes lightly, a small smile forming, "Oh just a girl."  
  
Goten frowns in thought, "But I remember that she was my soon-to-be- sister."  
  
Gohan yells in embarrassment, "Goten! Will you shut it?!" However, his 'little brother' gives him an unfamiliar scowl, creeping the heck out of Gohan.  
  
Bulma suddenly says, "Hey! Maybe Goten can be Saiyaman instead of Mirai! He's tall enough now."  
  
The mentioned demi-saiyajin growls, "I won't be caught dead in that thing."  
  
His father protests, "But Goten, you used to love Saiyaman. I remember how you wanted to be him so badly. Yeah, I remember it like it was just yesterday."  
  
The group sans Goten and Mirai sweatdrop. Gohan says hopelessly, "Dad, it WAS yesterday."  
  
Goku smiles and scratches the back of his head, "Oh yeah, I guess I was kind of thrown off." Then he sighs to no one in particular, "They just grow up so quickly." Again the sweatdrops.  
  
Goten shakes it off and says, "Well anyway, I've grown up. And I've learned what sensible clothes look like.unlike some people." giving an obvious glare at Gohan.  
  
Gohan yells, "What is THAT suppose to mean?!"  
  
Goten says calmly, "That you have bad taste in clothes."  
  
"I DO NOT!"  
  
"Yes, you do."  
  
"DO NOT!"  
  
"Do too."  
  
"DO NOT!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"DO NOT!"  
  
"DO TOO!"  
  
"NOT!  
  
"TOO!"  
  
"AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR CLOTHES?!"  
  
"WHAT ABOUT THEM?!"  
  
THEY'RE THE STUPIDEST CLOTHES I'VE EVER SEEN!"  
  
Goten clenches his fists, infuriated, "WHY YOU SON OF A-"  
  
Gohan cuts him off, "THAT'S NO WAY TO TALK TO YOUR BIG BROTHER!" clenching his fists as well.  
  
"YOU MEAN LITTLE BROTHER, SHORTY!"  
  
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORTY?!"  
  
"YOU!"  
  
"Okay, that IT! You wanna fight, we'll FIGHT!!"  
  
"FINE!" And even before Gohan can agree, Goten pounces on him and pushes him to the ground, and starts to punch his lights out.  
  
Goku frowns, already extremely annoyed with the two of them at this point, "Hey! Stop it you two! That's not sparring! Quit it!"  
  
Goten scowls and gets off of his "older" brother, allowing him to get up from the ground. Gohan sits up and wipes off his bloody lip, before tackling Goten to the floor and beating him up, too.  
  
Goku yells, "Hey! I told you two to stop!" But they ignore him and continue to pummel each other. Goku scowls and runs into the fray, pulling his two kids apart. "Will you two stop fighting and just forget this?!"  
  
They both yell, "NO!" and actually punch his face, just so that they can get back to their brawl. He lets go of them, but Gohan and Goten can immediately see that they went too far. Goku blasts into ssj2, and even then he's trying his best to restrain his anger. His eyes grow dark and to Gohan and Goten, he seems to have grown another five feet tall. He's even worse than ChiChi at her most furious stage.  
  
Goku points a trembling hand over to the door and says as calmly as he can, "Could the rest of you please go outside?"  
  
Bulma, Piccolo, and Mirai, who were watching the whole spectacle with an excusable enough anxiety, nod and sneak out without a complaint. However, Trunks stays and objects, "But Goku."  
  
"I SAID GET OUT!!!"  
  
Trunks makes a small 'eep' and runs out to join the others, slamming the door on his way out. Outside Mirai folds his arms as he can hear Goku start screaming out his lungs at the two victims, "Boy, those two are in trouble."  
  
Bulma frowns in worry, "I've never seen Goku like this before."  
  
Piccolo says, "Well, we've never seen Goten and Gohan brawling before either. And besides, Goku is in Vegeta's body, who knows how it might affect him."  
  
Suddenly the whole earth starts to shake. Bulma screams out the obvious, "The Earth's vibrating!"  
  
Mirai yelps, "But how is this- ACK!" His statement is quickly cut short, when an especially big wave ripples from its source.  
  
Trunks yells, "It's coming from the house!" But as quickly as it came it was gone. The Earth stopped shaking and everything is back to where it was originally.  
  
Bulma says shakily, "Will anyone care to explain what just happened?"  
  
Piccolo frowns, "I'm afraid that Goku might have done something drastic."  
  
The four of them run over to the entrance and silently open the door to peek inside. To Bulma's relief everything inside is still in one piece. They see Goku is still yelling at them, as if there never was a huge earthquake, ".AND DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Their gazes lower to see a very pale Goten and Gohan on the ground, huddled together for comfort.  
  
Goku continues, "BRAWLING! JUST BECAUSE GOTEN SAID THAT YOU HAVE BAD TASTE IN CLOTHES! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HUMILIATED IN ALL MY LIFE!"  
  
Gohan bows his head, "I'm sorry Dad. It won't happen again."  
  
Goku nods and turns to Goten, "And you. WHY DID YOU PICK ON YOUR LITTLE BROTHER LIKE THAT?! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!"  
  
Gohan yelps, "WHAT?!" But a dark glare from his father shuts him up.  
  
The other nods, "Yes.father."  
  
Finally Goku sighs and the rest of his anger leaves him, "Good. I hope you've both learned your lesson. I'm going to get Mirai a new glove. And from now on I don't want to see either of you fighting each other. We have much bigger problems on our hands already." The two nod their heads. Goku says, "Well, tell the others it's okay to come back in. I'm just going to snatch one of Vegeta's chest plates. And tell them it might not be a good idea for them to see me for a while." Goku walks upstairs, and the two glance over at the door, to see the others peeking in.  
  
Gohan gives a weak smile, "I guess you heard." as they walk back into Capsule Corps.  
  
Trunks frowns, "What the heck did he do?"  
  
Goten says cautiously, "Well, yell a lot, and.other stuff."  
  
Piccolo folds his arms and says, "Well, I have to say that I'm impressed."  
  
Bulma nods in agreement, "Yeah, I never knew that Goku had the parent gene in him."  
  
Goten looks around the living room and frowns, "Now, where the heck did my sword go?"  
  
Trunks points to the front door, "I think you left it by the time machine. I'll go get it." And before Goten can object, Trunks speeds out the door over to the sword, which had been lying in the sun the whole entire time.  
  
Picking it up from the ground, he nearly drops it in shock. Goosebumps prickle all over his body as he feels how freezing the sword is. He yells, "OY! Mirai me! Come over here!"  
  
Mirai pops his head out and asks, "What is it?"  
  
Trunks come over to him and says, "Here, feel this," just about to hand the sword over to him.  
  
Suddenly Goten comes out of nowhere and snatches it away from him. He eyes Trunks suspiciously, "I'd like to know what's so special about my sword."  
  
Trunks quickly fakes a smile, "I just thought that Mirai would like to see how cool looking it is. He's really into swords, you know."  
  
Mirai frowns, "Is that all?"  
  
Trunks nods, "Yup, that's all." Goten watches him another second, but then shrugs and goes back inside. Mirai is just about to follow suit, but then Trunks pulls him back out and shuts the door, "Mirai, that's not all."  
  
Mirai asks, "What do you mean?"  
  
Trunks says, "There's something freaky about that sword! And there's something freaky about Goten!"  
  
Mirai shakes his head, "Well, I wouldn't know about Goten, I only just met him. But what about the sword?"  
  
Trunks hisses, "It was cold!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"But it was lying in the sun for about two hours! It had to at least be warm!"  
  
Mirai frowns, "Is that all you called me over for? Look, it's nothing, okay. You just have an overactive imagination." With that Mirai opens the door and joins the rest of the group.  
  
Trunks turns to look back at the spot that he picked up the sword from, and he mumbles to himself, "But it was just so weird." Then he goes back in, too.  
  
Bulma looks upstairs and asks, "So what exactly is Goku doing up there?"  
  
Gohan shrugs, "I dunno. I don't know how you make one of those power glove thingies."  
  
Mirai asks, "What's a power glove thingy?"  
  
Piccolo scowls, "They're stupid saiyajin gloves that discriminate against every other race in the galaxy!"  
  
Mirai looks at him in surprise, but Gohan laughs, "Don't mind that. He's just jealous cuz he can't have one. Anyway, you'll find out what it is when my dad gets down. But meanwhile, let's recruit you into the Great Saiyaman League!"  
  
Trunks and Mirai both groan mentally, "{This is going to be so embarrassing.} 


	72. Veggie's back! And good as new! sort of

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Gohan gives his watch to Mirai and takes his sword from him. Mirai complains, as he puts the watch on, "Do I really have to do this?"  
  
"But you said you'd help us in any way."  
  
Mirai winces with guilt and says, "Right. I did." Then he mutters under his breath, "But I'm starting to regret it."  
  
Gohan points to Mirai's wrist and says, "Now press that red button there and then we can get started."  
  
"Get started on what?"  
  
The demi-saiyajin answers as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "Well, you have to learn my introduction of course! What if the bad guys don't know who you are? And my fans expect it!"  
  
Mirai says in disbelief, "You have fans?!"  
  
"Of course! They even made a movie about me!"  
  
"Did they include your special dance in it?"  
  
Gohan sputters, "Well no... but..."  
  
Mirai sighs, "I'm sorry Gohan, but I have to say that this Great Saiyaman is the stupidest hero I've ever heard of! Who thought up the idea, you?"  
  
Gohan answers, "Actually, your mom did. Why don't you ask her how stupid it is? She's right behind you."  
  
Mirai pales and slowly turns around to see Bulma glaring at him. He gives a nervous chuckle and says, "Oh hi, Mom. Come to see me practice?"  
  
A little later, although too soon for both purple-haired demi-saiyajins, Mirai is in Gohan's outfit, looking exactly like him. Gohan says in praise, "Great! You're the perfect replacement! Now why don't you start practicing the moves that I showed you earlier?"  
  
Mirai says almost pleadingly, "Why don't you show me your routine just one more time?"  
  
"But I showed you ten times already!"  
  
"But-"  
  
Suddenly they hear a huge commotion coming from the hallway, like several pans and pots falling over onto each other. Then a screaming voice yells, "Kakarot! How freakin' long have been keeping me under tabs?!"  
  
Another voice says, "But I'm not Kakarot!"  
  
Gohan says in shock, "That's Vegeta's voice! He's back!" The two demi- saiyajins go out into the hall and see Vegeta standing there in Goku's clothes, which are far too big for him, looking infuriated, giving him a very comical appearance. Pots, pans and all sorts of cooking utensils are on the ground, scattered around the ouji and a very flustered looking robot.  
  
Gohan says nervously, "Hey Vegeta! What's up?"  
  
Vegeta glares at him and yells, "What do you mean what's up? How can-" He pauses when he sees "the Great Saiyaman" standing right next to Gohan. He yelps, "Holy frick! You've split into two!"  
  
Goku laughs and says, "No, Vedge. That's Mirai. He came back from the future and is replacing Gohan as Saiyaman."  
  
Mirai stares at Vegeta, not used to seeing two voices come out of the same body. Vegeta narrows his eyes and him and orders, "Take that bucket off your head."  
  
Mirai bites his lip and does so. Seeing that it really is Mirai, Vegeta drops his jaw in shock, a look of utter disgust crawling onto his face. The demi-saiyajin smiles nervously, "Surprise?"  
  
The ouji moans, "I can't believe it. My son dressing up like that buffoon. You're not doing those poses right?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
Gohan answers, "Of course he is. It's part of the job description."  
  
Vegeta stares at them, then pulls Mirai away from Gohan and whispers, "Please tell me you got conned into this."  
  
Mirai nods, "I got conned."  
  
The ouji sighs with relief and crosses his arms, "Well, at least we can have some dignity."  
  
Goku says in a whine, "Veggie, that wasn't very nice."  
  
Vegeta yells, "STAY OUT OF MY PERSONAL LIFE!"  
  
"I'm in your body. How do you expect me to do that?"  
  
Vegeta says, "Well, uh... Just don't listen to anything!"  
  
"But Vedge..."  
  
"Will you shut up?!"  
  
Mirai sweatdrops, "Um... This is temporary right?"  
  
Goku nods, "Until I get into Gohan's body and hopefully until I get my body back from Kakarot."  
  
The ouji coughs and says, "Speaking of which. Are you ready to go to your brat's body?" Gohan rolls his eyes. He's never going to stop calling him that.  
  
Goku grins sheepishly from his side, bringing a strange lopsided smile to Vegeta's face, "Well, not exactly... I still have to put a mind weave on him."  
  
Vegeta yells, "WHAT?! Exactly HOW LONG have I been stuck in loony land anyway?"  
  
His son sweatdrops, "Loony land?"  
  
Gohan answers, "Well only four days."  
  
However, Goku winces, "Actually... I spent a bit of time traveling around in the time machine."  
  
Vegeta asks suspiciously, "How long?"  
  
Goku says meekly, "Twenty years, more or less..."  
  
"WHAT?! TWENTY YEARS?! YOU WASTED TWENTY YEARS OF MY LIFE?! HOW DARE YOU! I TRUSTED YOU WITH THIS BODY! AND YOU GO WASTING IT AWAY! TWENTY FREAKIN' YEARS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH OF MY LIFE YOU WASTED?!"  
  
"Tw-twenty years?"  
  
"THAT'S ONE TWENTY-FIFTH OF MY LIFE YOU BAKA! AND IT'S ALL GONE! BECAUSE OF YOU!"  
  
Gohan yelps, "One twenty-fifth?! Hold it! How long can saiyajins live?!"  
  
Vegeta answers, "About 400 years, but I've heard my father talk about even in the 600s. But that's not the point! I'd probably die centuries before I wither away into old age! In fact I want it that way! But noooo, Goku had to speed up the process, didn't you baka?!"  
  
Goku says, "I'm sorry! I forgot it was your body!"  
  
"YOU FORGOT! YOU FORGOT IT WAS MINE?! IS THAT THE GRATITUDE THAT I DESERVE AFTER GRACIOUSLY LENDING MY BODY OVER TO YOU?! YOU WANT TO STEAL IT?!"  
  
The saiyajin pleads, "Vegeta, calm down. Please! I'm sorry! Look I know a way to make you younger again!"  
  
Vegeta pauses, "Really?...... I don't believe you."  
  
"I learned it with all the other powers that I got from Kakarot. Just trust me."  
  
The ouji sighs, "Fine. As long as you don't get me any older."  
  
Goku smiles and puts a hand in front of their face, just a couple inches away and begins to chant, "Mao fortuna teh estu de requiem... Non graneet fa lo-" and etc. etc. He continues this pattern and Vegeta can feel the hand getting warmer. Then Goku hisses, "Tan mai ka!" and he finishes.  
  
At once Vegeta can feel youthful exuberance building up inside of him. He says in awe, "Whoa! What did you do?"  
  
Goku answers, "I told you. I made you younger."  
  
"Damn right, and I feel it too! Ha! I feel like I'm twenty-five again!"  
  
Goku frowns and thinks, {I didn't think his imagination was that overactive. I didn't even do anything! ..did I? Oh well, I guess I'll never be able to ask him his age.}  
  
Vegeta says excitedly to the other two demi-saiyajins, "Hey! Anyone up for a round? I feel like pummeling somebody!" 


	73. 100th review special!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Miyanon: Hey guys! Sorry I took so long to update what with exams n' all. Anyway, I finally get to update this story! And look forward to an update for "Onnafied" in the near future! I would also like to thank all the people who've reviewed my story! Thanks guys! I never expected 100 reviews for this thing... Of course one of them is mine. Anyway (I just love that word) on with the story!  
  
Finally the time had come for Mirai to start his new job. Flying towards Satan City, Gohan points to a little bleak on the horizon with rain clouds just beginning to collect, "Okay, there it is. If you need me just use the radio Bulma built into the watch."  
  
Mirai asks, "Well how am I supposed to know what Videl looks like?"  
  
Gohan smiles sheepishly, "Well she pretty much has the same costume as I, only she wears a helmet with a heart on it, and she has very short, but very beautiful black hair, and the prettiest blue eyes you've ever seen and- "  
  
The future demi-saiyajin snaps, "OKAY! Sheesh! The costume part was enough! You didn't have to get all mushy on me!"  
  
Gohan laughs, "I did? Sorry." He pauses, looking up at the storm clouds, "Looks like it's going to rain. Blessing in disguise I guess. Criminals tend to not like getting soaked. I'll see ya, tonight, but my dad's probably going to be in my body by then."  
  
Mirai punches the button and waves, "Well good luck," Gohan smiles and flies off. Then Mirai mutters grudgingly, "And good riddance too." Once Gohan is out of sight, Mirai pushes the red button and says, "Now at least I can walk incognito," flying towards the edge of the city.  
  
However, once he gets nearer to Satan City, he notices plumes of smoke ascending from the center of town. And cars pile up on the road as if they were thrown there, several large craters made in the ground that could only be made by intense ki blasts. The storm clouds above the city gather and darken, thunder and lightning clapping every now and then. With a deafening boom of thunder, fear grips his heart and Mirai whispers his eyes wide with dread, "I have the worst feeling of déjà vu."  
  
He flies towards the center of the deserted city, going as fast as he can. The only sound breaking the deathly silence are the clouds just beginning to rain upon the buildings which are becoming more and more destroyed as he goes further into town. A fearful anticipation crawls up his spine when he sees a clearing where there shouldn't be one.  
  
Mirai nearly stops breathing right then and there. Piled up in the center of all the destruction, is an immense mountain of ashen limbs and corpses all on fire. Horror seizes his body, as he watches the flames licking up the blackened flesh and bones. Out of the corner of his eye he notices a scrap of metal near the carnage marked crudely with the words, 'Kakarot was here.'  
  
An intense hatred suddenly builds up in his heart and he screams, "You BASTARD! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS! I SWEAR UPON IT WITH EVERY OUNCE OF MY BEING! YOU'LL PAY!" He whips out the watch, intent on calling the other Z-fighters and growls, "This is too much! They should have been here!"  
  
A quiet muffling noise distracts him from his task, and Mirai looks around the area, trying to find the source of the noise. Just a slight movement behind a concrete chunk of debris catches his eye, and he flies down next to the protrusion in the ground. He makes out sobbing noises in the rain and as he gets closer he becomes more confident that the source of the crying is coming from behind the wreckage.  
  
Peeking behind the concrete slab, Mirai sees the small figure of a young black haired girl, hiding her head in between her knees, shivering from the icy cold rain. He says gently, "Hey there, are you okay?" startling the little girl. She looks at him with wide blue eyes and nods her head, so the demi-saiyajin continues, "Are you alone? Do you know where any of your family is?" Slowly she points over to the pile of human bodies.  
  
Mirai gives her a look of pity and says, "I think you should come out. You can't stay here. Come out, I'll take you to my mom's place." The young girl vigorously shakes her head and her eyes flick up towards the skies.  
  
Mirai says comfortingly, "No, it's okay. I won't let him get you. Come on, or else I'll come and get you out myself." Again she shakes her head. Mirai sighs and steps towards her, but suddenly feels something squishy under his boot. He looks down and a look of disgust crawls onto his face.  
  
The girl looks at him apologetically. Apparently, she had vomited from the shock before.  
  
He wipes his boot off on a random piece of debris and says, "It's alright." Stooping down to her level, Mirai gently picks the girl off of the ground into his arms, where she held onto him tightly, afraid to let go. Mirai takes to the air, much to the shock of the young child, and turns on the radio on his watch, "Hello, Gohan, hello?"  
  
A static voice calls out, "Mirai? That was quick! I just got back to Capsule Corps! What is it? Did you forget a line or something?"  
  
Suddenly infuriated Mirai yells, "To hell with Saiyaman! Come over here RIGHT NOW!"  
  
****  
  
A little later, Gohan shows up in the center of the city with Goten trailing behind him. Both wearing grave expressions. They find Mirai sitting on top of a building along with a little girl sleeping on his lap, who he covered with his blue denim jacket. The rain had stopped a little while ago, yet puddles of water and blood are still scattered all over the area.  
  
Gohan flies over to the two on the building, guilt very apparent on his face. He says quietly, "Kakarot did this didn't he?" Mirai nods his head. Gohan continues, "I had no idea! We all had no idea!" But then he sighs, "That's no excuse though. We should have been here."  
  
Silence follows, as the two watch Goten flit around the city, apparently scanning it. Then Mirai speaks up with a strange emotionless voice, "You know, the androids in my time were like this. So cruel. I hoped I never had to see something like it ever again."  
  
Gohan frowns, "I want to get him as much as you do. But he has my dad's body. There's no way we can kill him." Mirai merely nods.  
  
Goten flies back to them with a strange expression on his face. When he gets closer the other two demi-saiyajins notice that it's an unimpressed look. Both of them instantly frown upon it with disdain. Mirai demands, "What's the matter with you?"  
  
Goten snorts derisively, "Kakarot's such an amateur. How could you not have beaten him yet?"  
  
Gohan bristles, "An amateur?!"  
  
His brother nods, "Yeah. His execution was poor, and the way he disposed of the bodies wasn't cruel at all. I've seen tons of destruction tens of times worse than what Kakarot's done. I remember it like it was yesterday." Strangely his memories don't bring up a hateful expression as lingering memories of Cell would to every Z Fighter.  
  
Mirai's eyes widen, "You've taken care of the person responsible right?"  
  
The question seems to take Goten by surprise, "Huh? Oh right, well... He's uh... under control. Yeah." The other two regard him with looks of suspicion. Trying to quickly change the subject, Goten brings out a white helmet; half of it is gone, with blood smeared on the inside. Gohan stares at it in shock, and Goten all too willingly drops it into his shaking hands.  
  
Mirai yelps, "Wait a sec! Is that-" Gohan looks at him helplessly and nods. The lavender haired prince makes a sharp intake of breath. Kami, what must be going on through Gohan's mind right now?  
  
Gohan stares at the broken helmet in his hands, an emotion undetectable to Mirai playing across his face. But Goten can tell what it is very clearly, and a hint of a cruel smirk twitches the corner of his lips. Gohan allows the helmet to drop from his hands to the ground several hundred stories below them. He says in a flat emotionless voice like the one Mirai carried earlier, "It's my fault. I wasn't here. I should've been here to protect her. I would've killed that bastard even if he was in my dad's body."  
  
Mirai nods, "We'll get him. Somehow."  
  
Gohan sighs, not allowing himself to break down then and there. He would save it for later, when it's the right time. "Let's get my dad into my body."  
  
****  
  
The trio of demi-saiyajins walks back into Capsule Corps with the young girl trailing behind Mirai, somber expressions on all of them, sans Goten. Goku happens to pass by and smiles at the group, "Hey guys! How was Mirai's first day?" Apparently, Vegeta had heard some metal banging together again.  
  
The girl clutches at Mirai's leg tightly, recognizing Goku to be the mass killer's form. Gohan notices and bends down to her level, "No, it's okay. He's not the one you know. He's nicer. The one you know is his evil twin, okay?" Frowning in confusion, the young girl nods.  
  
Seeing this interaction, Goku's expression turns serious and he demands, "What happened?"  
  
Glancing back at Gohan, the lavender haired demi-saiyajin says, "Satan City's gone. We only found this girl here." The girl stares at the burly new stranger, wondering how he could be unlike his twin.  
  
Noticing the young child, Goku makes a small smile and says, "Hey there. You okay?"  
  
His smile and his eyes are so bright. At once, the first warm feeling the girl has felt for the first time leaks into her body, and she quickly nods.  
  
Mirai says, "There's no one left... Not even Vi- What was her name again?"  
  
Gohan says quietly, "Videl."  
  
A sickening silence fills the room, and Goku says sincerely, "I'm sorry Gohan. But we'll wish her back with the dragonballs once this is all over with, and I get my body back."  
  
His son demands, "But are you sure you want to go back into the body of a mass murderer?"  
  
Goku frowns, not quite sure what to comment. His glance turns back onto the little girl, who seems to be very uncomfortable with the discussion. So he allows a smile back onto his face, for her sake, and bends down to her height, asking, "So what's your name?"  
  
The young girl answers shyly, "My name's Danny." The three demi-saiyajins blink in surprise. This is the first time they've ever heard her talk.  
  
Goku says jokingly, "Funny, you're too pretty to be a boy." Danny gives a small blush, but doesn't say anything. The tall saiyajin frowns, "You don't say very much."  
  
The young girl sighs, "Strange, my daddy always said I was a blabbermouth." At once tears spring from her eyes, "He would've said that now if he wasn't... wasn't..." Too distressed to continue, Danny breaks into bitter sobs. Goku looks at her sympathetically and gathers her up into his arms, sighing comforting words into her ear.  
  
Gohan gives a bittersweet smile, "You were always good with kids." His father gives him a knowing smile, but then Gohan's expression turns serious, "Dad, we need to get you to my mind." He can feel the urgency pulling at his gut.  
  
Goku blinks, "Um sure Gohan. But maybe it would be better if we did it tomorrow... There's something that I need to tell everyone." This announcement perks everyone's interests. What could be so important that he has to tell everyone? Goku turns his attention back to Danny and says, "How about we introduce you to everyone, huh?" Turning to the interior of Capsule Corps he goes off in search of the other residents.  
  
Mirai and Gohan glance back at Goten suspiciously, who had been wearing a stoic expression the whole time. Goten scowls, "What?!" They say nothing, so he stomps off, fuming.  
  
****  
  
That night, Gohan shifts restlessly in his sleep, the heat twisting his thoughts and his dreams, until he finds himself in a completely black void. Yet, for some reason he feels like he's being suffocated. Gohan looks up ahead and suddenly sees the mangled bodies of his parents, ChiChi's lying in a pool of blood, while Goku bends over her, tears streaming from his eyes. Too weak to carry on, he falls to the ground next to ChiChi, passing out.  
  
Horror seizes Gohan's body, and he yells, "MOM! DAD! I'M RIGHT HERE!" He starts running towards them, but the more he runs, the further away they seem. The black void envelopes them, and suddenly, Gohan runs straight into something like a solid wall, knocking the wind out of him.  
  
He wheezes for breath and looks up to see Kakarot towering over him. The spiky haired monstrosity pulls an evil smirk and puts up his palm to Gohan's face, "Good to see you again, Vegeta. Mind Weave!"  
  
Gohan tries to close his eyes, but he can't. It's like his eyelids disappeared or became transparent. Distorted ripples of light flow from Kakarot's hand, and Gohan can't help but get hit by it, paralyzing him to the ground. An evil smirk flits across Kakarot's face and he begins to laugh sadistically, like very other madman before him.  
  
Then Kakarot changes, shrinking and becoming smaller, his cruel expression replaced by an innocent face. Goten, he's changed into Goten, the one that Gohan always knew. Goten laughs, "Hi Gohan!" But the older demi-saiyajin cans see a huge shadow lurking behind his brother, holding a very familiar sword above Goten, ready to strike him down.  
  
Gohan's eyes widen in fear and he tries to warn his brother, but his mouth won't move. {Kami! No! Goten doesn't deserve this! Leave him alone, whoever you are! LEAVE HIM ALONE!} But it comes to no avail. The shadow drives the sword down into Goten's back and through his stomach. Goten's eyes widen more in shock than in pain, and he coughs up blood, landing on top of Gohan's body in a lifeless heap. Tears well up in Gohan's eyes and he screams, "YOU LOWLY PIECE OF CRAP! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!"  
  
The shadow steps out of the darkness, revealing a tall figure in a black gi and purple chest plate. The older Goten. The taller demi-saiyajin laughs menacingly, "Is this a good enough reason?" Then he brings the steely blade above Gohan's chest as well. But Goten disappears as well, leaving only the sword suspended in the air by invisible threads. The laughter's echoes still hang in the air as well, mocking the death of Gohan's little brother, sprawled on his legs.  
  
Fear gripping him, Gohan can feel his death at hand. Suddenly the suspension gives way and the sword falls straight towards the ridge between Gohan's eyes. Faster than a heartbeat, it flies down at him, and just when Gohan feels it brush his forehead- "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Gohan wakes up in a cold sweat, seeing nothing but darkness around him. He sighs with relief, "Thank God, it was just a dream." Suddenly a yellow light flashes on and sees Goten glaring at him. Gohan shrieks and promptly falls out of bed.  
  
The other demi-saiyajin is not impressed. "What the heck's the matter with you?! You woke me up!" He pauses seeing the way Gohan is looking at him, "Why're you staring at me like that?"  
  
Gohan shakes it off, realizing that this Goten had nothing to do with the one in his dream, "Oh nothing, it was just a nightmare."  
  
"Oh yeah? About what?"  
  
"It was so horrible! So scary!"  
  
Goten demands, "What was it about?!"  
  
His brother smirks playfully, "Your face."  
  
Goten narrows his eyes, "Har, har. Very funny. Now shut up and go to sleep." He flips off the light and goes back to sleep. Gohan unsteadily gets up from the ground and flops back onto his bed. However, the memory of the nightmare won't allow him to sleep. So he spends the whole night staring at the sword propped up against Goten's bed stand.  
  
**** (But wait! There's more!)  
  
Goku wanders into his sons' bedroom around midday and sees his previously eldest son, still in bed, dozing the day away. Goku frowns, "I've never seen you sleep this much." His eyes flick towards the clock on the wall, and he yelps in surprise, "3:30?!" Goku hastily shakes Gohan awake and says, "Come on, sleepy head! Everyone's waiting for you!"  
  
Gohan moans in between conscious and subconscious, "Sword, big sword."  
  
A large sweatdrop forms at the back of Goku's head and he mutters, "Sheesh, what got into him? He smacks Gohan particularly hard over the head, startling the poor demi-saiyajin.  
  
Gohan yelps, "Huh?! What?!" quickly rising up from bed.  
  
Goku smiles brightly, "Morning Gohan!"  
  
His son looks up and says, "Oh, morning Dad. Vegeta still hasn't gotten his body beck yet, huh?"  
  
Laughing, the saiyajin shakes his head, "Nope. But he will soon." Goku's expression turns serious, "But I need to tell you something before try to get over to your mind."  
  
Gohan frowns, "What is it Dad?"  
  
Laying a hand on Gohan's head, Goku ruffles his son's hair and says, "Well, I just need to say, that no matter what happens, I'll always love you, okay? And... I hope you can forgive me if this all doesn't work out."  
  
Gohan's eyes widen, and he demands, "What are you talking about?! What if what doesn't-" He suddenly gets cut off when Goku strikes him against the head, hard. The demi-saiyajin falls back onto his bed, knocked out. Goku looks at his son sadly, before rising from the bed to go and confront the people that he rounded up in the living room before.  
  
The remaining Z-Senshi look up at Goku as he walks down the stairs. Goten, Trunks, Mirai, Piccolo and Bulma. ChiChi and 18 have Marron and Danny safe away in a separate part of Capsule Corps. Goku smiles at the small group and sighs, "Well, I only have one thing to say to you. You've been the best friends that anyone could ask for. So that's why I need to say good-bye."  
  
Yelps of surprise come up from the group, and Mirai demands, "What do you mean, good-bye? You're not going anywhere!"  
  
The saiyajin looks down and says, "I'm not going to lie to you. There's a very likely chance that I might not come out of this. Us sharing the same mind was a fluke; him changing to my body was a fluke. Heck even coming into Vegeta in the first place was a fluke. If I try to switch bodies I might live an eternal life of wandering a spiritual embodiment with no physical form or... I may cease to exist altogether."  
  
Silence is his response. The deafening sound of silence. Goku anxiously waits for them to absorb the information and actually say something.  
  
Finally, breaking the spell, Trunks says quietly, "Um, maybe this isn't such a good idea."  
  
Bulma suddenly states, "I think it's an outrageous idea! Goku, what will I have to say to ChiChi about this?! That he just decided it was a good idea to risk his existence over a little body switch?! I'd rather share you and Vegeta with her, and I know that ChiChi would agree with me!"  
  
Goku protests, "But I need to get back to my body eventually, so no matter what I do I have to change bodies! Besides, it's not fair to Vegeta! He never asked for me to be in his body, and I promised him I would leave!"  
  
Goten suddenly asks, "But would he agree to this if he knew the risks?"  
  
Before Goku can answer, Mirai says, "How about we find out?" He snaps his fingers, and Goku drops to his knees, his body writhing in pain. Slowly his body compacts and changes until it's no longer his own. Exhausted, Goku and Vegeta fall down onto their back, breathing shallowly.  
  
The first thing Vegeta says is, "How long?"  
  
"One day."  
  
"Humph." They lean up and Vegeta says grudgingly, "So, what was so important you thought it convenient to bring me out?" bitterness reeking in his tone.  
  
Goku says nervously, "Actually it's not really-"  
  
Bulma suddenly says, "Vegeta, if you dare make Goku-kun leave your body I will make sure that you regret it for the rest of your life!"  
  
Vegeta blinks in surprise, "What?!"  
  
Leaving his leaning spot against the wall, Piccolo comes over and says, "What she means is that if Goku leaves your body, then he might cease to exist."  
  
Goku adds, "Don't forget or live an eternal life of spiritual-"  
  
Bulma snaps, "Can it! You don't know what's good for you!"  
  
Slowly getting up to a stand, the ouji asks, "How big is the chance?"  
  
Goku answers, "About 9 to 1 in favor of my demise."  
  
Vegeta scowls, deep in thought. He glances over at his reflection in the window and says, "Get out."  
  
"....Okay."  
  
The blue haired scientist yells, "Vegeta! You selfish-"  
  
The ouji suddenly snaps, "Selfish?! How dare you call me such!" His eyes burn in anger, and he demands, "You fools have no idea what it's like to have this BAKA in my body! Making me do things I would never do, making me say things I would rather cut my tongue off than say! And Goku even has the luxury of having his own body and mind, while my every waking moment is plagued with his presence! And it's coming to the point where I don't even think I own this body anymore! So, if you dare to call me selfish, then so be it! But I can't see any of you doing any different in my situation! Except for that foolish boy, I doubt you would even want Goku in your body."  
  
Tears spring from Bulma's eyes and she turns away, while the rest look down with guilt. Vegeta humphs, folding his arms, "I thought so."  
  
Uneasiness sets in, so Goku tries to get them back on track, "Well, now that that's decided, all we need now is for someone to knock us out into a coma."  
  
Vegeta says flatly, "You have to be kidding me." Goku shakes their head. They glance over to the demi-saiyajins, who just back away, rather than have Goku's death on their hands.  
  
Being the only fit person left to do it, Piccolo sighs, "Well, Son's going to have to leave eventually anyway." He walks over to them and says, "If Goku dies then I'll assume full responsibility." He brings up his arm and takes a giant swing at the saiyajin body. Goku gives one last wave before both he and Vegeta are knocked out. Piccolo's hand makes a loud crunch as it impacts Vegeta's head, and the saiyajin/s fall to the floor with a sickening thud.  
  
**** (Maybe I should stop now... Nah.)  
  
Hours later, Vegeta wakes up, finding himself in total blackness. He moans as he pulls himself up to a sitting position, "Ugh, here again. Now where's that clown? Goku! Where are you?!" But there's no answer. Chills creep up Vegeta's spine and he screams, "GOKU! DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME! WE BOTH KNOW YOU'RE TOO STRONG TO GET WIPED OUT OF EXISTENCE! GOKU! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"  
  
Dead silence.  
  
Fear pricks up Vegeta's spine and he hastily gets up to look around for the other saiyajin, calling out his name, "GOKU! GOKU, WHERE ARE YOU?!....." He unknowingly breaks into a run, desperately trying to find Goku, "GOKU! ANSWER ME! GOKU!!!........ Kakkarotto... KAKAROT! COME BACK!"  
  
After nearly an hour of running around in circles, Vegeta flops down onto the ground, despair wearing him thin. He looks up at the ceiling in despair, "Kakkarotto, WHY DID YOU LEAVE! THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!..... You were supposed to live."  
  
The ouji continues sorrowfully, "Damn it, what have I done? This is even worse than death. You can't come back... Well maybe you can." At this he says angrily, "Oh who am I kidding?! I wiped you out! Poof! Gone! Not here or in the Otherworld! I should've listened to everyone, right? But noooo, I had to be mister stuck-up prick, didn't I?! Damn me! I'm alone and it's all my fault!" (Dude, he has issues.)  
  
Sighing, Vegeta says, "You deserve to be the prince, not I. You were nobler than I ever was. Stupid Kakkarotto, you fulfilled your promise even when you knew you could've vanished in a heartbeat." Saluting the air Vegeta adds, "Well then Prince Kakkarotto, I hope you have a good non-existence."  
  
Suddenly an upside-down face pops up right in front of Vegeta's face from above and smiles, "Aww, Veggie, I didn't know you cared."  
  
Vegeta's eyes nearly bug out of his skull and he screams bloody murder. A firm grip spins him around, and a sudden smack brings the ouji to his senses. Vegeta looks at the figure dazedly and recognizes it to be the so called "lost saiyajin." Goku grins, waving, "Hey, Vedge."  
  
First the ouji's face takes on an expression of shock and disbelief, but it slowly but surely turns into one of pure anger and humiliation, "YOU FOOL! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU THE WHOLE TIME?!"  
  
"Tsk, tsk," Goku smirks mischievously, "it that anyway to talk to your prince?"  
  
A cold dread crawls up the ouji's spine, and he says quietly, "You heard me?" The younger saiyajin nods his head vigorously, grinning like an idiot. "Where?"  
  
Goku answers, "I was invisible!"  
  
Vegeta's eyes widen, "You did that on purpose?..... WHY YOU LITTLE PIECE OF CRAP! I OUGHT TO KILL YOU! YOU MADE ME HUMILIATE MYSELF ON PURPOSE!"  
  
"It didn't sound very humiliating. In fact it was very nice and mushy sounding."  
  
"THAT'S THE POINT! Don't take anything I said to heart because I was DISTURBED by the idea that people could vanish IN A FRICKIN' PUFF OF SMOKE!"  
  
Goku frowns, "So it didn't mean anything?"  
  
"OF COURSE NOT! I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU!"  
  
"Sure sounded like it."  
  
"I DON'T CARE WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"  
  
"But you still called me Prince Kakkarotto." Vegeta smacks his forehead in frustration, using all his energy to control his hands from wringing Goku's neck. But Goku continues in a mocking tone, "You did, didn't you? Prince Kakkarotto. It has such a nice ring to it. Doesn't that make you the peasant? Maybe I should make you my personal servant! Vegeta, I order you to massage my feet!"  
  
"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!"  
  
Goku laughs as Vegeta chases him around the recesses of his mind.  
  
****  
  
After several hours of being chased around Goku plops onto the ground, pooped out. Vegeta drags his feet along behind him and plops down onto his rival's body, smirking weakly in satisfaction, "HA! I (pant) got you!"  
  
Goku asks with a lack of interest, "You going to kill me now?"  
  
The ouji flops alongside him and says, "I'll do it later."  
  
They lie down together in silence, just going over the past day's events. Suddenly Vegeta perks up, "How the hell am I suppose to get out of here?"  
  
Goku yelps, "No! Don't ask any-" Too late, a massive book lands on top of the ouji's head nearly knocking him out. Goku finishes weakly, "rhetorical questions... Are you okay Veggie?"  
  
Looking up at the black void, Vegeta demands, "Ka- I mean Goku! What the hell was that?!"  
  
Goku answers, "Well apparently this place is like a huge library where you can call up a lot of books that answer rhetorical questions. Like, for example, why you?" Suddenly a whole mass of books suddenly fall on top of the ouji. Goku shrieks, "ACK! Veggie! Are you alright?! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"  
  
Vegeta pokes his head out of the mound of books, glaring furiously at the other saiyajin, "Why didn't you bother to WARN me?!"  
  
Scratching the back of his head, Goku gives a sheepish grin, "Sorry. But when I said that in my mind I only got a couple books landing on me. Boy, I guess your subconscious doesn't like you very much."  
  
The ouji huffs, and jumps out of the pile. "What do these all say anyway?" he asks, reaching down to pick up a book.  
  
Goku yells, "NO! Don't read it!"  
  
Ignoring him, Vegeta opens up the book and reads, 'Why you reason #217. Because you are a pointy-haired, egotistical fool.' And that is it out of a massive 400 page book.  
  
Vegeta yells, "What the HELL?!"  
  
Goku folds his arms, "I told you so."  
  
"Oh shut up. Get me that book for me to get out of here."  
  
The taller saiyajin sighs and chucks the book towards the ouji, who catches it and begins reading it. "I guess I'll be going. Anyway you can look for the answer yourself, but if you aren't awake by the time Gohan and I are, I can pull you out of the coma."  
  
Vegeta says irritably, "I don't need your help! Just go already!"  
  
Shrugging, Goku says, "Okay. See ya." His body fades out until there is nothing left.  
  
The ouji chuckles, "Finally, all alone." He yells up, "What are Goku's spirit form capabilities?!"  
  
****  
  
Goku pops into another black void, a wave of disorientation washing over him, but he quickly shakes it off. Off in the far reach of the general area, a tall figure looks around, also looking very disoriented. Goku quickly recognizes him to be Gohan. Waving, the tall saiyajin yells, "Hey! Gohan! I'm here!"  
  
Gohan turns around and to see his father waving at him and he brightens up, yelling back, "Hi Dad! What took you?!"  
  
Finding it better if they weren't so far apart, Goku teleports over and starts up, "I was-! Oh sorry, I was just helping Vegeta get back out of his body. You ready to get back out?"  
  
His son nods, "I'm more than ready. It's as boring as heck here. And random books keep falling on me too!"  
  
Goku laughs, "Don't worry about it. Now I just need to teach you how to fuse."  
  
"FUSE?!"  
  
Meanwhile... "AAARGH!!! I can't believe it! Nothing works unless you're in spirit form! Not even killing by glaring!" Vegeta tosses the book aside and resumes a pout, "Why does it always seem like Ka- Goku has all the luck?! Even his dumb spirit form is immortal dammit!"  
  
He yells angrily up at the black sky, "WHY CAN HE BE IMMORTAL AND I CAN'T?! GOKU, YOU DINGBUTT! WHY ME?!"  
  
A heap of books fall on top of him, once again. Vegeta spits out a corner of a book that landed in his mouth, and he curses vehemently, "Why the little- I thought last time was all of it!"  
  
****  
  
"Okay, let's try this again."  
  
Gohan nods and they bring themselves into the fusion position.  
  
"Fu-  
  
-sion-  
  
-HAAA!!!"  
  
Gohan and Goku bring their fingers together at the last position and... nothing happens.  
  
The younger demi-saiyajin stomps his foot angrily, "Dang it! I thought we had it perfect that time!"  
  
Goku sits down and says encouragingly, "Well, you didn't exactly proportion your body weight right. You need to shift it to your left just a little, then it'll be perfect."  
  
With a depressed sigh, Gohan practices the fusion pose once more, asking, "So how long did it take Vegeta to learn fusion?"  
  
Goku gives a nervous laugh, "Um, would you believe he only needed to see me once?"  
  
Stopping immediately, his son turns to stare at him in disbelief, "WHAT?!"  
  
Goku merely shrugs, "I guess he's just a fast learner."  
  
"Of course I am, what do you expect from a prince?" Both Sons snap their heads in the direction of the voice, finding a nearly translucent apparition of the ouji smirking at both of them. Amused by their shocked expressions, Vegeta chuckles and asks, "Surprised?"  
  
Gohan asks, "Um, you're not here to share my body too are you cuz-"  
  
Vegeta's expression turns sour, "Of course I'm not! I'm already awake in my body. The only reason why I'm here now is because the onnas were worried about you and wanted me to check on you. I wonder what they'll say if I tell them you two have just been relaxing the whole time."  
  
Goku protests in a childlike manner, "We have not!"  
  
"Tch. Bakas. Fine, then why aren't you fused yet?"  
  
Also annoyed, Gohan pulls his father up off the ground and says, "We were just about to. Come on Dad."  
  
Blinking in surprise, Goku says, "Uh... sure."  
  
They resume the fusion position start going through the poses once more. "Fu-sion-HAAAA!!!!" Their fingers interlock and a flash of light explodes from both of them.  
  
The ouji watches them, unamused, but as the light fades away, his bored expression turns into one of shock. Now what we have here, is a severe case of obesity. The fusion yells cockily, "All hail me! For I am the strongest man alive, GOKAN!!!" Vegeta's head droops and he stares at the fusion dumbstruck. He had absolutely no idea that this is the way that he looked when he messed up his first fusion with the younger saiyajin.  
  
Gokan looks around, confused, and asks, "Hey... Where's that other guy? Oh yeah! He's me!" he laughs scratching the back of his head. Gokan seems to have inherited a cockiness that belonged to neither Goku nor Gohan and also Goku's... 'je ne sais quoi.'  
  
Vegeta just shakes his head halfheartedly, "Baka."  
  
The ouji sticks around for the next half hour, waiting for Gokan to split apart. Suddenly there is a flash of light and Gokan ceases to be, letting Goku and Gohan exist in different bodies. Dazed by the experience, Gohan flops over onto the ground to recover. Goku yips cheerfully, "Well that was a rush!"  
  
Getting up, Vegeta says, "Well you can fuse again, but I'm not sticking around."  
  
Goku frowns, "But don't you want to see if this next one works?"  
  
"NO! I mean, no. I've had enough disturbing images in my mind to last me a long while. I'll see you on the outside." With that the specter of the ouji fades out, leaving no evidence of his trip.  
  
Goku shrugs, "Oh well, I suppose we can't stop him. Come on, Gohan! Everybody's waiting for us!"  
  
"But what if we turn back into-"  
  
Scoffing, Goku says, "Come on. It's not THAT big a deal!"  
  
"Yes, it was!"  
  
Goku pulls Gohan to his feet and says, "Don't get so worked up about it. It'll be fine. Now let's try again."  
  
Once again, much to Gohan's reluctance, they resume the fusion pose. "Fu- sion-HAAAA!!!!" An immense amount of energy and light emits from the duo and they form into Gokan, once again, only better.  
  
A figure similar to Gogeta, only with Goku's bangs and Gohan's hair. There are also slight variations to the outfit with black gi pants purple sash and wrist bands, and green instead and orange puff thingies lining the edge of his vest.  
  
Gokan stretches out his temporary body and mumbles to himself, "Alright, you two. Now what did you leave me to do?" He spends nearly all of his time in the short half hour of his existence, pulling up memories from Goku's half of his mind and smirks, "Alright! 50 paces forward, then 25 backwards. That should get me out!"  
  
He follows Goku's directions and at once feels himself being pulled towards the ceiling. However, as he floats up, he notices that something's amiss. Gokan's eyes widen in shock, "Holy frick! Where the hell's the mind barrier?!"  
  
He realizes too late that Goku never put Gohan under mind control and Gokan desperately tries to fight the force pulling him upwards, "NO! LET ME GO! I NEED THAT MIND BARRIER TO SPLIT!" However, it comes to no avail. Gokan yells, "Dammit! I can't go back now! What will happen to Gohan's body when the time's up?!" But it's too late. Gokan feels himself being pulled into the world of the conscious, dizzying images of a room full of people swirling in his mind.  
  
****  
  
Gokan wakes up to find ChiChi hovering over his bed and his eyes snap wide open, "AAAAHHH!!!!" ChiChi shrieks as well, when Gokan tumbles out of bed, only to find himself inside of Gohan's body.  
  
A gruff voice says, "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the brain."  
  
Gokan yells, "I don't have time for this Vegeta!" surprising everyone with his dual voice. He does a quick survey of the room to find all the remaining Z-senshi in the room along with Bulma and ChiChi. He turns to Piccolo and says, "Piccolo, I know this is strange, but I need you knock me back into a coma!"  
  
The nameck yelps in surprise, "WHAT?!"  
  
The fusion says quickly, "I don't have much time to explain, but I wasn't able to split when I needed to because Goku didn't put a mind meld on Gohan! I'm Gokan! I can't be here!"  
  
As everyone takes this in, Gokan's eyes dart over to the clock and he curses, "Crap! It's almost half an hour! Hit me into a coma so that I don't split!"  
  
Bulma frowns, "But you said you were suppose to split!"  
  
An awful rush of urgency sweeps over Gokan and he shouts, "THAT WAS THEN! THIS IS NOW! WE CAN'T SPLIT NOW!" He turns back to the nameck and yells, "Dammit, Piccolo! Do it now or else Goku and Gohan will die!"  
  
Good enough for Piccolo. He takes a giant swing at Gokan's head, but Gohan's body suddenly flashes and a red line of blood cracks down the middle of Gohan's body. All Gokan can manage to do is say weakly, "Too late..." and an unnatural ripping courses down Gohan's body, until two halves are flung to the opposite sides of the room. Nearly everyone screams or intakes a gasp of horror. ChiChi's eyes roll up into her head and she slumps onto the ground into a faint. Bulma shakes uncontrollably, and the rest seem on the verge of tears or ready to faint alongside ChiChi. All, except Goten, who just stares at the scene with an emotionless face. Well, maybe not quite emotionless, but bored.  
  
Vegeta kneels by the body parts, his head sunk in grave respect for the two dead comrades. His face suddenly contorts with fury and he turns on to Piccolo, "You fool! Why did you let them die?! You couldn't even do as Gokan asked! Now we have to wish them back with the dragonballs! We were suppose to save them for wishing back the population of this stupid mudball!"  
  
Piccolo turns his head away in shame, "Vegeta, I-"  
  
"Shut UP! DON'T YOU REALIZE YOU'VE JUST KILLED OFF TWO OF OUR GREATEST FRICKIN' ASSETS?!"  
  
Again, Piccolo tries to respond, but his eyes drift behind Vegeta to the body halves and they widen in complete and utter shock. Vegeta frowns, "What?" He looks at the other people in the room and sees the same expression on everyone else's' faces. He slowly turns around and yelps, "Holy-!"  
  
The halves begin to glow and slowly form into two separate piles of goop. Then a blinding light flashes simultaneously from both piles, yet Vegeta continues watching them closely, squinting through the light. He can't see much, but he barely manages to make out the outlines of two... BODIES?! Vegeta's eyes widen in shock, but he quickly realizes his mistake, "OW!!!"  
  
He turns away, clutching his eyes in pain. Blinking rapidly, his watery eyes begin to focus, but he suddenly gets assaulted by a scream by Bulma, "Vegeta! Look!" Spinning around once more, Vegeta stares at the figures before him, rubbing his already sore eyes in disbelief.  
  
Two young children, about the age of nine, are blinking rapidly at the group, confusion sweeping over them when they realize everyone's taller than they should be. Both of them are the exact carbon copies of the adults that the rest had seen ripped into two, Gohan and Goku.  
  
Looking to his left, Gohan is the first to notice what the trouble is. "HOLY FRICK! DAD! YOU'VE BEEN CHIBIFIED!" Quickly surveying himself, he adds with a small wail, "I'VE BEEN CHIBIFIED! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO ME! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL ALL OVER AGAIN!" He starts ranting on his current situation, nearly hyperventilating.  
  
Goku just cocks his head stupidly.  
  
Everyone continues staring at the two in speechless shock, until Vegeta is bold enough to poke Goku in the head to see if he's real or not. The chibi saiyajin turns his head up and looks at the ouji dead in the eye. Suddenly he grabs Vegeta's leg and grins, "Daddy!"  
  
****  
  
Miyanon: Wow... That had to be the longest post I've done for this story yet... Yes, I know it's kind of a cliffy, but I had so many opportunities to end this at much better cliffies. In fact I could have stopped this about a quarter of the way in. I'm still not sure if I should have or not. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this latest installment of 'Incidences of Madness'. Hopefully I'll get a new chapter up for 'Onnafied' soon too. Ja ne! 


	74. Super Upgrade

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
****  
  
All color leaves the prince's face once he hears that dreaded word.  
  
Daddy  
  
And it came from the mouth of the chibified version of his greatest rival, who is currently grinning at him with the biggest smile that he's ever seen.  
  
Vegeta's eyes dart over to the other occupants of the room, who just bite their lips with worry or shrug. However, the also chibified Gohan frowns at his father, wondering how he could have totally messed up his memory when he himself still has his.  
  
The ouji turns back to the little saiyajin clinging to his leg and says nervously, "Um... I think that you have the wrong saiyajin," and gently pries the chibi off of him.  
  
Goku's eyes widen and his grin is wiped off of his face. "What do you mean?"  
  
Vegeta bites his lip, "I'm not your father. Sorry." Then he winces, waiting for the harsh return.  
  
But then Goku suddenly breaks into fits of laughter, and falls onto the floor, rolling in hysterics, pointing at the ouji.  
  
Vegeta's eyes narrow, "I have the strangest feeling that I am being mocked."  
  
Goku laughs, "Oh Kami, that was so easy!" Relief washes over the rest of the group, except for Vegeta that is.  
  
"EASY?! YOU PLAYED A PRANK ON ME?!" However, the red, furious saiyajin just makes Goku laugh even harder.  
  
Trunks, the master of tricks himself, chuckles as well, "You do have to admit that he got you good. He managed to get you to say sorry!"  
  
Vegeta snarls, "I'll show him sorry!" He grabs Goku by the collar and brings him up to his face, "You little prick! You think that this is funny! I'll show you how funny it is once you get pummeled! I bet you chibified yourself on purpose for a laugh, too!"  
  
Bulma says in a scolding manner, "Vegeta! Don't threaten him, he's just a kid. Besides, he didn't know he was going to be chibified. He just was. And when he saw it, he took the opportunity to make fun of you."  
  
Vegeta just stares at Bulma is disbelief, but Goku pauses his laughter and frowns, "Actually, I sort of suspected that something like this would happen." That's when Vegeta drops Goku onto his butt. The little saiyajin whines, "Ow... That hurt!"  
  
Gohan demands, "What do you mean you knew this was going to happen?!"  
  
Goku shakes his head, "No, I thought that the fusion split might be unsuccessful. I didn't think that we'd turn into kids. I don't even know how we can possibly be alive! The only thing I can really understand is that Gohan and I both seem to be the age of 9, which is half of Gohan's real age. And that we both have all of our memories. But what's really odd is I have the strangest urge to pull more pranks on Vegeta."  
  
Trunks nods and sighs, "Yes, the bane of my existence. The never-ending addiction to practical jokes. Goten's too."  
  
Goten mutters, "I must've gotten off of it then."  
  
Bulma scoffs, "Oh never mind that! We just need to figure all of this out! Does this mean Goku really has his own body? Or is it just made out of Gohan's flesh?" Everyone winces at her wording, even Bulma herself, "Sorry."  
  
Vegeta sighs and thinks, {It's the damned spirit form that kept them both alive. I didn't think K- Goku's immortality would actually affect his brat as well...} He pauses when he sees Goten's eyes on him, as if he's a specimen being studied. He snaps, "What are you looking at?!" The demi- saiyajin just looks away awkwardly.  
  
Suddenly Piccolo brings them back to the real issue, "Well you can speculate all that you want. But we do have a major problem on our hands. How are you going to explain this to ChiChi?" looking at the still unconscious woman on the couch.  
  
****  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T GET BACK TO NORMAL?!" Everyone backs away from the furious crazed woman as she screams at her poor chibi of a husband.  
  
Goku says pleadingly, "No, ChiChi! I never said that! I just said it would be really hard! I'm sorry! I didn't think anything bad would happen!" Even though he told the others before about his suspicions.  
  
"Gohan and I would have to fuse together first. Then knock out Gokan and then unfuse in Gohan's mind without messing up his body. And we don't even know if we'll even turn back to Gohan's teenage body. And if we do, we have to get knocked out before half an hour or else Gohan'll get split in half again and somehow I have the feeling that we might not get so lucky next time. Overall, it's really difficult to say anything about turning back to normal. All we can do is hope for the best!"  
  
ChiChi stares at her husband before breaking into a huge smile and hugging the little saiyajin, "Oh my gosh! That's so cute! You sound just like Gohan!"  
  
The group sweatdrops but is relieved to see ChiChi off of her rampage. Goku and Gohan especially. Goku smiles shyly, "Does that mean you're not mad?"  
  
His wife narrows her eyes, "Are you kidding? Of course I am! But it's just so hard to stay mad at you!" She tweaks his cheeks and grins, "This is the face that I fell in love with!" Goku does not look happy.  
  
Trunks and Mirai begin with the teasing snide remarks. While the rest just watch in amusement at Goku's displeasure. However, Vegeta notices Goten watching the young saiyajin with the kind of intensity that Frieza would give the dragonballs. He narrows his eyes and while Goten is too distracted with his own thoughts, the ouji tries to mind read him. {Immortality ne? Maybe I heard that ouji wrong but-} Suddenly Vegeta feels a wall pull up on him as Goten discovers a different presence in his mind.  
  
Vegeta scowls and puts up his own walls as well to block anyone else from reading his thoughts as well. Watching Goku struggle and whine in ChiChi's arms, he thinks, {Something is very wrong with that Goten. Very wrong. He wants Goku for some reason; I can see it in his eyes. But for what?! And how could he possibly notice me in his mind?! I have been practicing my mental skills ever since I was just a child! There's no possible way he could detect me unless, he's some sort of psychic master!} He looks back at Goten and puts up several more mental barriers, very disturbed by the idea.  
  
Interrupting Goku's torture and the others' pleasure, Piccolo demands, "So how strong are you anyway Son?"  
  
Goku frowns and manages to pry himself out of ChiChi's arms, looking at his puny arms in disdain, "Actually, I'm not sure. It kind of feels the same, but something's out of whack." He pulls up a smile, "I bet a spar would help me figure it out though!"  
  
Piccolo nods, "Alright let's-"  
  
Suddenly Vegeta says, "No, I'll spar with him. If he really is full strength then you won't be able to handle him." He pulls Goku out towards the backyard and says, "Don't expect me to go easy on you now that you're just a gaki."  
  
Goku smiles, "I'm counting on you not to."  
  
ChiChi and Bulma roll their eyes muttering similar expressions about how saiyajins always fight. However, the demi-saiyajins and Piccolo wander outside to watch the spar.  
  
Walking outside, Goku is trying to get used to the fact that he's back to being a little boy and that everything is so big. Even Vegeta's taller than him, for a change. Both saiyajins get into fighting stances and glare each other down. Watching in anticipation, the spectators cheer as they charge straight at each other. Their fists slam against each other and they struggle to push the other person back.  
  
Unmoving eyes watch the fight, and Mirai says, "Looks like they're equal in strength."  
  
Piccolo shakes his head, "No, Son has a little headway." They watch as Vegeta shoves Goku away and they start a barrage of kicks and punches. "He's still as strong as he was when he was an adult."  
  
Trunks nudges Gohan and says, "Hear that? You're the same strength too." Gohan nods, but continues watching the fight.  
  
Throughout the fight Vegeta growls inwardly, this fight being a possible threat to his pride, {How is this possible?! He's only a little brat! I can't be defeated by a mere gaki!} Goku gives him a well placed kick, sending the ouji flying towards the group.  
  
Mirai yelps, "WATCH OUT!" They duck and cover, but Vegeta flips to his feet and makes only a minor crater in the ground on his landing, before blasting off after Goku once again.  
  
Vegeta yells, "I won't let you humiliate me again!" He suddenly sees Goku's tail waving behind him and smirks, seeing his chance.  
  
Goku sees the ouji throw a small ki attack at him and swats his away with his hand off towards the horizon. That's when he notices that Vegeta's disappeared. Suddenly, down on the ground Gohan yells, "Dad! Watch out!"  
  
Goku automatically ducks out of the way as Vegeta tries to drill his hands onto his head. He turns to the ouji and smirks, "Missed me!"  
  
But Vegeta's own well known smirk comes to his lips, "Not quite," showing off the end of a fuzzy brown tail to his rival.  
  
The young saiyajin pales, when he realizes that it's his. He yells, "That's a cheap trick Vegeta!"  
  
Vegeta replies, "It's not my fault you didn't get me my tail back!" quickly knotting up the tail, causing Goku a great amount of pain and throws him half way across the city. Already the little saiyajin is struggling to free his tail from the knot. Vegeta brings his wrists together and aims his palms towards Goku, beginning his signature attack, "Final- FLASH!!!" A massive yellow ki blast comes out of his palms speeding right at the chibified saiyajin.  
  
Down on the ground, Mirai yells, "My dad's going to beat him! Even if Son- San does recover, he won't have enough time to gain enough energy to do a proper attack to block it!"  
  
Suddenly Goten contributes to the discussion, "Yes, he will. Just watch. He'll beat the ouji."  
  
Goku untangles his tail his tail just in time to regain his strength and see the huge blast coming right at him. Without pausing to think, he begins rushing through his own famous attack. "Ka-me-ha-me-HA!!!" The ki that comes from his hands is massive! Even more than massive, monstrous!!! Even bigger than the full powered ones that he would make as an adult.  
  
Vegeta just stares at it in complete incredulity, while it engulfs his attack in a blink of an eye and flies straight at him, too fast for him to try and deflect it, if it's possible to deflect something that huge. All he has time to do is cross his arms in front of his face and brace himself. And maybe pray for his life.  
  
Goku sees the impending danger and teleports to Vegeta's aid, standing in front of the ouji and kicking the blast just above Vegeta's head, slightly singeing him. He watches the blast as it flies safely into outer space. Vegeta looks up from his position and realizes that the baka gaki just saved his royal behind. Again. He yells, "Hey, I could've taken that! I'm not weak!"  
  
The young saiyajin protests, "I never-!" He abruptly stops his whine when he smells smoke, and slowly his gaze lifts to Vegeta's head, his eyes bulging as he does so, "Uh... Veggie?"  
  
Vegeta snaps, "What?!"  
  
"Your hair's on fire."  
  
"WHAT?!" Vegeta smells the smoke as well and begins to calmly freak out. "AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! BLOW IT OUT! BLOW IT OUT!" He goes flying down into the house, crashing through the watching crowd, in search of the nearest water source.  
  
Goku runs after him frantically, unknowingly trampling over the group as well, "NO! STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! LISTEN TO ME! YOU HAVE STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! COME BACK HERE!"  
  
****  
  
Later, inside of Bulma's lab, Vegeta sits sulkily in a chair in the corner while Bulma examines Gohan and Goku with ChiChi hovering around them. Only a little bit of the ouji's hair is gone, but most of his dignity's gone out the window. So instead of trying to recover a lost cause, he resorts to glaring at Goku resentfully.  
  
Bulma makes the boys go through a whole series of tests; muscle density, brain scans, blood tests (which Vegeta eagerly helped out with), and all sorts of other check ups. After going through all her findings, she reports back to the two patients, ChiChi and Vegeta, who doesn't really seem to have a place there, but stays anyway out of curiosity. Bulma looks through the papers and says in a very professional manner, "Well, you two are perfectly healthy as far as I can tell. However, you two are just as strong as before because most of your muscle mass has been condensed into this little body that you have here."  
  
To demonstrate she struggles to lift up Goku's arm to show how heavy it is. "I'm surprised that your tiny bones can even handle carrying these things, but it seems that they've become stronger as well, compensating for the added pressure. They should be about ten times harder than they normally are. Definitely making it a lot harder to break your bones. It's absolutely fascinating."  
  
She flips to another page in her notes and says, "As to the ki that you gave off... I'm not really an expert on this sort of thing, but I think that since you have the same strength your ki should be the same. But since you have a smaller body it gives you more potential energy and less kinetic."  
  
Goku blinks, "Huh?"  
  
Gohan mutters, "She meant that since we have smaller bodies, we have more ki in our reserve."  
  
"Ohhh."  
  
ChiChi adds, "Well, you can't exclude the amount of energy that kids have. They can be nothing but bodies filled to the brim with sugar sometimes." Vegeta pales at the thought of his rival being as bouncy as his own kid. He'll never have a chance to rest!  
  
Bulma says, "Speaking of kids, I also have the results of the neuro-scan. It's actually very strange... You see, Gohan and Goku still have all their memories, but Goku seems to have lost his adult maturity."  
  
Vegeta grumbles, "I didn't know he had any." His wife gives him a quick smack over the head.  
  
Bulma glares, "Of course he does! Or did. But now his sense of right and wrong has lessened, and he's going to be more prone to act like a regular kid!" She looks over two scans of Gohan and Goku's brain and their readings before sighing, "What is really bugging me is why it happened to only Goku and not Gohan!"  
  
Goku answers, "Well maybe cuz this isn't my body, it's still part of Gohan's, even though it looks like mine." He puts a hand onto his chest and sighs, "It's really weird. It doesn't feel like I'm part of this thing. Like I'm floating off somewhere else and controlling this body with a remote control. Maybe my mind's just adjusting to this thing, but Gohan's isn't cuz it's already his body."  
  
Gohan's eyes widen, "Does that mean you're STILL in spirit form?"  
  
His father nods sadly, "Yeah, I think so."  
  
Getting off of his chair, Vegeta mutters, "I don't see why you think that's such a bad thing," as he starts heading towards the door.  
  
Bulma yells, "Hold it!" He stops and turns to look at his wife. "What do you mean it's not such a bad thing?!"  
  
The ouji simply answers, "Because he's immortal in spirit form," and he leaves before anyone can question him more about it.  
  
Goku takes a minute to soak it in, while the other three watch him apprehensively. He slowly brings his hands up and studies them as if he's never seen them before in his life, "I'm immortal?" 


	75. A taste of things to come

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
Vegeta checks the gravity room to make sure that it's empty and quickly gets in, locking himself inside. However, he isn't in his training uniform. In fact he's in one of his most restrictive sets of clothing, not meant for fighting at all. So why is he in the GR if he isn't going to train? Simple.  
  
To get away from Goku.  
  
For the past two hours, the little saiyajin has done nothing but pull prank after prank after prank on him. Granted, Trunks and Goten would do the same thing, but he can handle Trunks' assaults. For crying out loud, his son has barely a third of his strength! But Goku is a different story entirely! The little 9 year old has the strength of his old adult form AND the ingenuity of a well experienced fighter. Combine that with the mind of a child and voila! You have Vegeta's worst nightmare.  
  
Feeling safe, at least temporarily, Vegeta sits down on the smooth floor of the GR, too afraid (although he'll never admit it) to even turn on the GR for fear of attracting the attention of the younger saiyajin. So instead he just decides to contemplate Goku's latest prank.  
  
It was nothing more than an extension of the classic bucket over the door trick. Only instead of water, or hot oil like Trunks would put sometimes, Goku had compressed enormous amounts of ki until they were made into nothing but hard spheres about the size of a tennis ball that would only explode on impact with another source of ki such as a person or an animal. And he put about ten of those in a bucket to be dumped on the ouji. And it worked.  
  
The prank took out Vegeta and about half of the hallway with him. Bulma didn't find out yet, but much to the ouji's displeasure, she'll just dismiss it as boy's play. He couldn't believe how much leverage that his wife is giving to the little saiyajin. Now if HE was in charge of the little brat, measures of discipline were sure to be taken! Except for the fact that he's running from Goku as it is.  
  
Vegeta grumbles to himself, "I can't believe that little gaki is making me run away from him! This is so humiliating! I shouldn't be hiding from a child! Then again only a fighting genius could have made those compressed ki-balls. I didn't know that you could do that with ki!" Then he adds darkly, "I bet that brat doesn't even realize what kind of formidable weapon he made with that baka child-like mind of his!"  
  
Suddenly, he hears a small noise right behind him. Very similar to the sound a certain someone makes when using instant transmission. Vegeta freezes up and is almost too afraid to turn around. Okay, he's completely afraid to turn around. He says quietly, "Goku, that isn't you, is it?"  
  
A high pitched voice pipes, "I dunno. Maybe." Vegeta groans. He can just see the impish grin on his chibified rival's face. He slowly turns to face his rival and to his relief sees Goku just sitting down on the floor behind him. Goku frowns, "Why are you in here if you aren't training?"  
  
Vegeta growls, "To get some damned privacy. For the past two hours I've seen nothing but your baka grin on your baka face always mocking me! I'm sick of your damned pranks!"  
  
Goku shrugs, "Ah well, I'm doing any more yet. It's kind of hard topping off the last one I did." He suddenly grins, "So I'm just going to bug you instead!"  
  
The ouji shivers, {Kami, help me.} "Do you have any idea what the onna's going to do to you once she finds out what you've done to her house?"  
  
At this, the little saiyajin just grins, "She's not going to do anything! I'm too kawaii! I could get away with murder and nobody would care!" Vegeta snorts derisively. Goku adds, "Anyway, she's probably worried about impressioning my very sensitive mind."  
  
Vegeta frowns, "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Goku points to his head and says, "My head's still suppose to be in development. Or that's what Bulma says. She doesn't want anything to happen to it that will affect my grown up mind forever and ever. So she's just letting me do whatever I want!"  
  
A revolutionary statement for sure. Vegeta demands, "You mean I could be brainwashing you right now and not even know it?!"  
  
Goku nods, "Uh huh!" He adds darkly, "But you better not try, or else Bulma will get REALLY mad at you." The ouji just humphs and turns away. Goku puffs up his cheeks, getting ticked off by the lack of attention. He crawls over in front of Vegeta and asks, "So, Veggie, since I'm immortal, can I be an elite now?"  
  
"Of course not! You were born a third-class and you will STAY a third class! Even if you are an immortal one!"  
  
The chibi warrior protests, "But you called me 'Prince Kakarotto.' That's gotta count for something!"  
  
Vegeta snaps, "No it doesn't! You're not even Kakarot! Your alter-ego is!"  
  
"So HE'S a prince?"  
  
"HE ISN'T A PRINCE YOU FOOL! WHY WOULD I CALL MY WORST ENEMY A PRI-?!"  
  
Suddenly the door opens and Bulma peeks in, frowning, "So this is where you two are. What are you doing in here?"  
  
Vegeta snaps, "None of your business!"  
  
At once Bulma demands, "Vegeta... You're not trying to brainwash Goku-kun, are you?"  
  
The ouji's eyes widen in shock, "What?! Of course I'm not! Whatever gave you that idea?!"  
  
The blue haired scientist purses her lips and eyes Vegeta suspiciously. Then she sighs, "Trunks is ready to hypnotize you back to normal along with Gohan. You better meet him over at his bedroom."  
  
Vegeta scowls, "It's about time," and gets up off the floor to head back to the house. Halfway across the yard, he pauses and slowly turns around. Goku's right behind him, wearing a very mischievous smile on his face. The ouji growls, "No."  
  
Goku blinks, "But I didn't even-"  
  
"There is no way that I'm going to be hypnotized in the same room with you!" Thinking he made his point clear, Vegeta continues on route. However Goku just follows him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Vegeta snaps, "I don't trust you in this form!"  
  
Goku grins, "Why?"  
  
"What do you mean why?! You've played at least a dozen pranks on me in the last hour!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"...." Vegeta decides to ignore Goku the rest of the way to Trunks' room. Goku skips along behind the "taller" saiyajin until they reach the door. Vegeta merely barges in and smiling, Goku steps in, only to get a face full of door, and he stumbles back into the hall, his whole face red from where Vegeta slammed the door on him.  
  
The chibi saiyajin rubs his stinging face and pouts, scuffing the ground with his feet, "Aw phooey." 


	76. Pranks, denial, and a saiyajin conscienc...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
****  
  
Staring across the dinner table, Vegeta glares at the younger saiyajin with a suspicious eye. He hasn't tried to pull anything yet, making the ouji very nervous.  
  
"Vegeta."  
  
The ouji looks away and turns to his mate next to him, "What is it onna?"  
  
Annoyed at being called a pronoun once again, Bulma scowls, "Get me the napkins"  
  
Vegeta looks at the napkin dispenser by his elbow and sees none there. His eyes search the table with the Sons and the Briefs sitting at it eating dinner, and sees another napkin dispenser right next to Goku. He snaps irritably, "Hey! Get a napkin over to Bulma!" Goku pays him no mind and continues inhaling his food. Already annoyed, Vegeta yells, "Prince Goku, give a napkin to Bulma right NOW!"  
  
Everyone's heads snap up and stare at the ouji incredulously. Vegeta scowls at the stares, wondering why his yelling was so unusual. He demands, "What are you looking at?!"  
  
Bulma says in shock, "Vegeta, did you just call Goku a prince?"  
  
Vegeta snaps, "Why would I do something as stupid as call Prince Goku a prince?" His eyes immediately pop open and he yells, "Holy frick!!" clutching tightly at his throat. Goku and Trunks break into grins and they high five each other under the table. The ouji stands up and points accusingly at Goku, "You! I know you had something to do with this! Only you would plot something this sadistic!"  
  
Goku laughs, "Sadistic? Me? Oh come on, Vedge. Why would I do something like that? Besides, how would I be able to do it? You wouldn't let me in the room when Trunks was hypnotizing you."  
  
Vegeta hisses, "Why you-"  
  
ChiChi huffs, "Yeah, ouji, my husband does have a point. He didn't do it. Now leave him alone."  
  
The ouji yells, "I know he did it! Don't even try to convince me otherwise!" He turns his glare back to the chibified saiyajin and snarls, "Don't think that I'll forget this, Prince Goku!" He yelps and covers his mouth. Goku and Trunks use all their will not to break into uproarious laughter.  
  
Bulma sighs, "Vegeta, you are being so overdramatic. Just say plain old Goku."  
  
Vegeta hollers, "I've been trying to say Prince Goku the whole time! I mean G- Prince Goku! I mean... Ah CRAP!" He pounds the table angrily, breaking it right down the middle, successfully upsetting the whole dinner. Several of the people cry in protest and Trunks and Goku take the opportunity to leave the scene.  
  
****  
  
Escaping from the dining room, the two chibis run down the hallway, laughing gaily. Trunks says excitedly, "That had to be one of the best pranks yet!"  
  
Goku grins, "Yeah, I know! The look on your dad's face was priceless!"  
  
The lavender haired demi adds, "Yeah! And he didn't even know he called you Prince Goku until my mom had to tell him!"  
  
"Ha HA! That was so great!"  
  
Trunks grins and stops in front of his room, "It's so great to have you as a friend, Goten."  
  
At once the grin is wiped off of Goku's face. He says, "Uhh... Trunks? I'm not Goten."  
  
Blinking, Trunks says, "Of course you are. What are you talking about, Goten?"  
  
Frowning, Goku asks, "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Goten. I've never been better."  
  
"... Are you trying to use me to replace my son as your playmate?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Goten."  
  
"....Rrrright."  
  
Trunks opens the door to his room and leads in the chibified saiyajin. Sitting down in front of his game consoles, he says, "Come on. Let's play some Maveo Kart," handing a controller to Goku.  
  
Goku says, "Um... I don't like that game."  
  
"No, you love it. You always tell me that, Goten. Now let's play."  
  
"But I'm not Go-"  
  
"I SAID PLAY!"  
  
Goku yelps, "Okay!" And he sits down and lets Trunks start up the console.  
  
Trunks leans back into his beanbag chair and smiling, sighs, "It's so great to have you as a friend, Goten."  
  
Goku says nervously, "Yeah, sure."  
  
****  
  
About half an hour later, while Goku is struggling to keep up with Trunks in Maveo Kart, Danny, the young girl that was rescued from Satan City, peeks into the demi-saiyajin's room shyly. She quietly knocks on the door and without taking away his eyes from the screen, Trunks yells, "Who is it?!"  
  
Danny answers, "It's just me."  
  
The demi-saiyajin's eyes widen and he stops the game immediately, turning around and looking at Danny, "Oh, hi! What are you doing here?" Goku turns around as well, looking at the raven haired girl with interest. This is the first time that he's seen her in a long while.  
  
Danny's breath hitches once she sees Goku's face. A hot blush comes onto her face and she squeaks out, "Hi, I'm Danny! Nice to meet you!" holding out her hand to Goku.  
  
Goku smiles good naturedly, "Hi, I'm Goku. Nice to meet you too."  
  
The blush on Danny's face deepens and she grins. Trunks stares at them, switching between her to Goku to her again. A stress mark pops onto his head and he pushes the two apart, "Hey! Cut it out!"  
  
Completely oblivious, Goku asks, "What the heck are you talking about?"  
  
Trunks growls, "Alright, Goten. Why don't you just go downstairs and see your brother?"  
  
The chibified saiyajin just shrugs, "Whatever." He didn't even like playing video games anyway. So he goes out the door, heading in the direction of Gohan's ki.  
  
Danny says quickly, "I'll go with him."  
  
Trunks frowns, "Don't you want to play with me? We can play that weird Darbie Adventure game that you bought."  
  
The young girl smiles and says, "That's alright. Maybe later." And she rushes out of the room after Goku. Trunks stares at the doorway, scowling and decides to play one of his role playing shooting games.  
  
****  
  
Far, far away from West City and Capsule Corps, Kakarot sits on the edge of a high cliff overlooking another very metropolitan city. He sighs with boredom, randomly shooting the cars on the highway leading over to the city. Sure he feels the lust of battle like any other saiyajin, but this is ridiculous. This is no battle. None of the people can properly defend themselves. He mutters, "How pathetic," watching the people panic and scream when they see him. {They're so damn weak. It's sad. I almost feel guilty about killing them off. It's like killing off a bunch of newborn infants.}  
  
A low rumble and chopping sounds gain his attention and he sees several tanks and helicopters heading his way. Kakarot grins and cracks his knuckles, "Well, this should be interesting." 


	77. The many forms of Gokan

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Hey guys! Wow! It's been ages since I've been able to work on this story! Well to those of you who don't know, I was unable to write this story since it was already prewritten in about nine notebooks that I left in Indonesia. Anyway, so I'm back from my evacuation and like I promised, this story is back online! If anybody is still reading this, thanks for your support! You guys have been great!  
  
**** The next morning, Vegeta locked himself in the gravity room, spending his time under high gravity doing deep meditation, training his mind..... so he wouldn't say 'Prince Goku' again. It isn't exactly working.  
  
Meanwhile the rest of the fighters are outside of on the lawn, watching as Goku and Gohan prepared to fuse together once again, in the hopes that they would turn back into Gohan's eighteen-year-old body. Nervous, they all stand around in tense anticipation. The two nine year old boys look at each other and nod, before they start doing the fusion dance.  
  
"Fu-sion-HA!!!"  
  
The bright light blinds the fighters and when it's safe to look, they turn and see..... A nine year old Gohan.....  
  
The dual voice of Gokan says, "I guess it didn't really work..."  
  
Mirai shrugs, "Well it could have just been a glitch in the dance."  
  
"Yeah, wait until you unfuse, and then Goten and Gohan can try it again," his younger counterpart nods in agreement. Everyone gives him an odd look. Trunk frowns, "What?"  
  
Half an hour later, Goku and Gohan are ready to try again. "Fu-sion-HA!!" With the result being a nine year old Gokan. The little fusion groans, "I guess we try again in another half an hour." Mirai, Trunks, and Piccolo also have similar faces of disappointment, meanwhile Goten looks like he's enjoying himself.  
  
This goes on for several hours, with all the fusion's forms being completely different, until about noon, when they come upon the oddest combination yet. A female eighteen year old Gokan. With only the black vest barely covering up certain particulars on her torso. Everyone stares at her dumbstruck, and she turns red and covers up her chest.  
  
Gokan growls angrily, "That's it! I've had it! This fusion form is completely impossible! The next thing I know I'm going to turn into a llama next!"  
  
Mirai blushes, "Well, it's not THAT impossible."  
  
The female fusion said dryly, "Oh really."  
  
"Yeah, in both human and saiyajin DNA, males are made up of x and y chromosomes. Meanwhile women are made up of two x-chromosomes. So what probably happened was that Goku's X chromosome and Gohan's X chromosome got fused together and made a girl fusion."  
  
Gokan sighs a breath of relief, "Oh well, that's good. At least I know I won't turn into a monster."  
  
Again Mirai looks kind of nervous, "Well..... There is always the possibility of an xxy fusion."  
  
Trunks frowns in thought, bringing a hand to his chin, "I think I heard of that somewhere."  
  
Mirai nods, "It was a project that Mom was working on, about genetic mutations. Basically an xxy is half man-half woman....."  
  
Everyone stares at him incredulously. Gokan shivers, "Okay, that's it! I'm not going to fuse anymore!"  
  
Piccolo scowls, "Just try it one more time. You already had Gohan's form, it was only the wrong age."  
  
Gokan rolled her eyes, "Oh fine. Just one more though!"  
  
Half an hour later. The group of fighters look at each other nervously, as the fusion form looks ready to kill. A male eighteen year old Gokan, this time. Mirai smiles nervously, "One more time?" Gokan doesn't even answer him, but wipes the grin off his face with one of Goku's death glares, which were rarer, but just as formidable as Vegeta's.  
  
Trunks raises his hand, "Who agrees that this is completely messed up." The rest raise their hands.  
  
Finally Gokan gives a deep sigh of defeat and mutters, "I guess we'd just have to wait until Goku and Gohan can wish their ages back to normal with the Dragonballs." He perks up and smiles, "In any case, I have half an hour to kill, so why don't we go and pound Kakarot!"  
  
Piccolo yelps, "What, now?!"  
  
Goten nods in assent, "Sure why not? We have to get him anyway, so let's go now."  
  
"We can't just dive into this head on!" Mirai says in exasperation. "We have to have a plan! This isn't just some villain we can punch the living daylights out of. No matter how strong you are," he says quickly before Gokan can say anything. "Remember, Kakarot has Goku's body!"  
  
Gokan asks seriously, "Okay, how's this for a plan. We go find him. Knock him out, Goku mind hops to his body. He kills Kakarot. We wish everybody back to life and then we kiss, we shmoos, we go home happy. What d'ya say?"  
  
Nobody says anything for a long while. You could hear the crickets out on the lawn.  
  
Finally, Goten grins excitedly, "Now that's what I call a plan! I'll go get Vegeta!" He hurries over to the other side of the Capsule Corps complex, towards the GR.  
  
Piccolo gives the fusion a worried look, "Gokan. I think that it's all easier said than done."  
  
Goten comes back quickly, half dragging Vegeta across the lawn. Meanwhile the ouji is kicking and screaming, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW!" The adult demi-saiyajin smirks with amusement and drops him on the floor onto his butt.  
  
"OW!" Vegeta rubs his bottom and looks up, realizing that everyone is watching him, barely holding back their laughter. He quickly gets up and demands, "What are you looking at?!"  
  
That's the last straw and they all start laughing in fits. The ouji burns red with embarrassment and goes over to Goten, kicking him squarely in the shin.  
  
****  
  
The group nearly had to go across the world to find Kakarot's ki, but it barely took five minutes with their superhuman speed, leaving plenty of time for Gokan in his fusion. They feel a giant pulse of energy coming from Southwest of them, over the tropical forest and towards Buenos Aires.  
  
Vegeta himself is looking extremely ticked off. "I still say that this is completely reckless! Going after Kakarot like this!"  
  
Mirai smiles and says teasingly, "You mean without a plan?"  
  
"Thinking about only using power to kick the opponent's butt?" Trunks also grins.  
  
"Admit it, Father, you're ticked off because Gokan's copying you," Mirai says in a mock solemn tone.  
  
Vegeta growls, "It's not that!" He adds in a quieter tone, "His attitude really pisses me off." Both his sons burst into laughter.  
  
Gokan shushes them and says, "Quiet! Kakarot's only over the next hill!" They all shield their ki and hide just behind the top of a ridge, and they look over, seeing their enemy casually blowing up the tall skyscrapers, no doubt full of people.  
  
Piccolo demands, "So what's really the plan? Ambush?"  
  
Trying to make up for his lack of coolness in this certain episode, Vegeta steps up and smirks, "Why don't we just pummel him?"  
  
"NO!" They all grab him and pull him down, just before Kakarot turns around and frowns, thinking he heard something coming from the ridge.  
  
Gokan whispers, "I'm not quite THAT reckless!"  
  
"Well, what do you suggest we do?" the ouji demanded.  
  
At this the fusion sweatdrops, "Okay, maybe I haven't exactly worked out the details to that, yet."  
  
Piccolo groans, "I knew it."  
  
Vegeta growls in impatience, "Then why are we here?! Fine! I'll just go pummel him by myself!" jumping up again. Once again they all pull him down. "NO!"  
  
Kakarot turns to the ridge once again, this time thinking he might have seen something. But then he dismisses it again and goes back to work.  
  
Gokan glares at the ouji but then sighs, "Why don't you at least put a power glove on, huh?" He pulls a familiar looking glove out of his back pocket handing it to Vegeta.  
  
The glove trembles in Vegeta's hands and he whispers, "Masaka....." He hurriedly puts on the glove, but at once he has to bite back a scream of pain. He claws at the glove trying to get it off, but to no avail.  
  
Gokan smirks, "Oh yeah, I should have told you about the side affects if you don't pass the test." All at once, Vegeta pops into a chibi body and the glove easily slips off his hand. "You get chibified for an hour."  
  
Everyone else is looking at the young ouji, very wide eyed. Vegeta looks at his hands and yells, "You bastard! You knew this would happen! Why'd you trick me?!"  
  
Gokan tucks the little ouji under his arm and smiles, "So you'd be a little easier to control." Vegeta struggles in his grip, trying to get out, but it's to no avail. He resorts to screaming a string of curses that really shouldn't be coming out of a chibi's mouth.  
  
Piccolo does not look amused. "Gokan! You fool! You don't just chibify one of our fighters just before we fight some major villain!"  
  
The fusion huffs, "Oh shut up. I just thought of a plan." He looks up at the sky and calls out, "King Kai. King Kai? Are you listening?!"  
  
Then Gokan hears the blue kami's voice answering in his mind, {Hello? Who is this? You got me right in the middle of my shower!}  
  
Gokan shivers at that mental image, but shakes it off. "King Kai. This is Gokan. I'm the fused form of Goku and Gohan."  
  
{Goku huh? He's in a lot of trouble up here you know.}  
  
"Well, never mind that. I need you to patch Bardock up to Kakarot to talk to him."  
  
Mirai frowns, "Bardock? Isn't that Goku's father? Why are you getting him?"  
  
Meanwhile King Kai himself sounds puzzled, {Wait a sec. Bardock? Isn't he in hell?}  
  
"King Kai! Please!"  
  
{Oh all right. I just hope you know what you're doing.}  
  
"Okay, but hurry up! I only have 20 minutes left to live!" With that Gokan stops connecting with King Kai and looks at the others.  
  
Trunks asks, "What the heck was that all about?"  
  
Gokan smirks, "Just watch and wait."  
  
Suddenly, Kakarot's voice screams out, "WHAT?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE DEAD?!"  
  
Everyone makes little enlightened, "Oh,"s.  
  
Gokan smiles, "Well, he should be distracted now." He drops the chibi prince in Piccolo's hand and says, "Wish me luck."  
  
Mirai yells, "Hey! You can't go off alone!"  
  
But he already did.  
  
****  
  
Gokan doesn't find Kakarot up in the air anymore, so he lands down in the mass of destruction. Walking quickly through the maze of rubble towards Kakarot's now erratic ki. Gokan finds the saiyajin huddled behind a massive steel bar, his knees tucked into his chest and looking like he's trying to make himself as small as possible. Gokan looks at him sadly, but even so his Gohan side prepares himself for a fight.  
  
The fusion stays far away from Kakarot, but then asks, "Did you just find out about your planet?"  
  
Kakarot quickly turns and jumps up, alert and cautious to this new arrival. To Gokan's amazement, he sees silver streaks of tears down the murderer's face. The fusion didn't imagine that he was capable of crying. Kakarot wipes his eyes and demands, "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"A friend," swinging out his tail to demonstrate. Kakarot stares at him wide eyed, then suddenly embraces him. Gokan gives a yelp and looks at the saiyajin awkwardly.  
  
Kakarot cries, "Thank Kami! I thought I'd never see another saiyajin ever again!"  
  
Gokan sweatdrops, "Uh..."  
  
"Hey, you don't have to know Vegeta Ouji do you?" he asks suddenly. Kakarot lets go of Gokan and starts muttering to himself, "What a fool I had been! How I misjudged him! He was probably just trying to get by on this stupid little mudball and called him a traitor, stole his clothes, and nearly killed his offspring! He probably had no choice but to sire with a ningen!" By then Kakarot has started to panic, "ACK! He's going to kill me! Maybe I shouldn't go find him! Hopefully he'd forgive me if I apologized to him and his brood, then swore my allegiance to him forever more!"  
  
He pauses at that, but then smacks his face, "Dammit! I was supposed to do that in the first place!"  
  
The whole time, more and more beads of sweatdrops kept forming at the back of Gokan's head. "Uh..... Not that I want to bring this up, but don't you have a mission here?"  
  
Kakarot just laughs derisively, "What, do you think I'm an idiot?! I'm not going to ruin this planet if I'm stuck on it!"  
  
The fusion says in disbelief, "W-wait a sec. You mean, you're just going to give it up?!"  
  
His 'enemy' says indignantly, "Hey now! The only reason I was going to complete my mission in the first place was so I could go back home! How that there isn't one, what's the point?..... Unless you know some good class A planets we could go to instead."  
  
Gokan frowns, "Uh, sorry?"  
  
Kakarot sighs, "Oh well. It's all right. Not like I had any loyalty to that Frieza guy in the first place. That bastard." Then he gives Gokan a pained grin and asks, "So, let's go find ouji-sama, shall we? If he forgives me, maybe he can hide me for a while until the ningen forget about me." He casts an embarrassed look around the ruined city, "I don't think they're going to like me much after this."  
  
However, Gokan looks like he's gone into shock.  
  
Kakarot frowns, "Hey, are you okay?"  
  
The fusion mutters, "You just stopped? Just like that?" Still frowning, Kakarot nods. Suddenly, Gokan screams, "STUPID!"  
  
The other saiyajin yelps, "Excuse me?!"  
  
"I'M SO STUPID!! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS EARLIER?! HOW MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THIS DAMN THING THROUGH?!"  
  
Kakarot sweatdrops, "I've never met you before in my life."  
  
All of a sudden, Gokan starts smacking his head against a huge iron bar, yelling, "STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" over and over again, like a mantra.  
  
"Hey! Don't do that! You'll get brain damage!" Kakarot yells, then he thinks to himself, {Not like he didn't suffer any already.}  
  
Suddenly, a light bursts forth from Gokan's core, causing Kakarot to fall on his butt in surprise. Once the blinding light is gone, Kakarot looks up only to see two nine year old chibi's in the place of the saiyajin warrior that was just there.  
  
"Two kids?" he says in disbelief. He rubs his eyes and stares at them, making sure that they're real. But then he takes a closer look at the more spikier haired one and gasps, "Chibi Kakarot Jr?!"  
  
Goku barely manages to fully wake up, before he gets picked up and nearly squeezed to death by a massive presence.  
  
Kakarot says in excitement, "My God! It is you! I thought that you were dead!"  
  
Gohan groans and sits up from the place where he was thrown and looks up, only to see what looks like Goku hugging Goten in the old days. He blinks, "Huh?" only to realize a second later what really is going on. He shrieks and quickly crawls behind a rock to hide. It's not everyday that he ends up at the feet of a super-sized version of the saiyajin that nearly tortured him to death.  
  
His chibified father, however, doesn't feel all that scared in Kakarot's arms and glares at him, "Let go of me. I'm not Goten."  
  
The taller saiyajin blinks in confusion and lets go. "What? Wait a sec," he says as Goku floats away from his grip, "then who the hell are you?"  
  
The young saiyajin grins, "Aw come on. Don't you recognize me, Kaki?"  
  
Kakarot freezes. Only one person had ever called him Kaki in his life and that was the little voice that taunted him in the back of his mind. A little voice that disappeared what seems like ages ago. He says in numb shock, "It can't be you. You don't have your own body. In fact you're supposed to be dead!"  
  
Goku jumps up, still smiling, "But here I am. Alive and kicking."  
  
"But- But that's impossible..... unless....." Kakarot's eyes narrow in fury, "You used Chibi Kakarot Jr's dead body, didn't you?!"  
  
Goku yelps, "What?! No! You misunderstand!"  
  
The saiyajin screams, "You sick bastard! You had him killed off didn't you?!"  
  
Goku futilely tries to defend himself, "But I didn't-!"  
  
"You told your elder son to kill him off, just so you could take his body!"  
  
"I would never-!"  
  
Kakarot blasts into ssj and points an accusing finger at the young saiyajin, "I'll never forgive you for this! Never!"  
  
"Will you please just listen?!" Goku cries.  
  
Sensing, the danger, Gohan flies up and yells, "I'm going back for help!" as he starts flying towards the others.  
  
In his dangerous state of mind, Kakarot senses this foreign chibi to be a danger to him and blasts Gohan out of the sky. Not knowing what hit him, Gohan falls to the ground singed. A loud "NO!!" brings him to his senses, only to see a foot, just before it kicks him in the gut, sending him headfirst into a piece of rubble, rendering him unconscious and badly beaten.  
  
Goku runs over to his son and checks him. Crimson starts to slip down Gohan's forehead where he was cut by the rubble. Out cold and his breathing dangerously shallow. Fury insets into Goku's being and he turns to Kakarot with narrow eyes burning with wrath. "You're going to pay for that," he barely whispers. He takes an offensive stance.  
  
Kakarot smirks, "Bring it on, shorty," also preparing himself for a fight.  
  
They stare each other down, but within seconds, they become nothing but blurs.  
  
****  
  
A/N: Whew. If you didn't notice that's a bit longer than my usual. But that's okay. I should probably keep it up. I don't know if I can break 100 chapters with one story, but I'm not sure I want to find out. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon, but I'm working simultaneously on Onnafied AND cowriting with my sister. (Her pen-name's Crepian.) Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Ja! 


	78. A new evil

Disclaimer: Don't own it, ever will.  
  
A/N: *Nervous laugh* Uh... I just found out that this story wouldn't look updated unless I put a new chapter in. You're lucky you get two chapters at once. Enjoy it. It WON'T happen again.  
  
Warning: Lots of violence  
  
****  
  
Mirai looks over at the ruined city and frowns, "What the hell is going on over there?" It's already past the time that Gokan was supposed to diffuse, and the others are starting to get worried.  
  
Well, except Vegeta who's busy pouting in his chibi form with half an hour still to go.  
  
"You can never tell with fusions," Piccolo mutters, recalling the time he had dealing with Gotenks. "They're some of the most arrogant beings I've ever seen."  
  
Trunks nods in assent, "Yeah, combine all the fusion's egos together, they can even beat Dad's."  
  
The chibified ouji just makes a small, "Hn," of annoyance, while the others laugh.  
  
Goten, however, is sitting on top of the ridge, well away from the others. Mirai looks over to him and asks, "Do you see anything over there?" He just ignores the question. The teenager mutters, "What's with the attitude?"  
  
Vegeta grins at a mental joke, "Maybe he's got a bad case of hemorrhoids." The group just stares at him, completely silent. Vegeta scowls, "Hey! Why the heck did you think it was funny when Krillen said that about me?!"  
  
Trunks looks up in thought, "Was I even alive then?"  
  
Mirai shrugs, "Don't recall."  
  
Piccolo says, "I thought Krillen was serious."  
  
The ouji glares at them and mutters, "Bakas."  
  
The sun starts to set over the horizon, setting a blood red sky over all of them and elevating their unease. That's when Goten stands up and declares, "I'm going over there to help."  
  
Suspicious at this sudden turn, Vegeta gives the full-grown demi-saiyajin a venomous glare, "Oh? Who said that they needed your help?"  
  
Mirai stands up as well, "He has a point Dad. We can't just stay here the whole time. They could be in serious trouble."  
  
Goten gives them all a strange look and says, "I'm going alone."  
  
"What?! The heck you are!" yells Trunks, jumping up.  
  
Sighing, Goten throws something at the young demi-saiyajin, hitting him square in the forehead. At once Trunks, screams and clutches at his forehead.  
  
"Trunks!" Mirai runs to his younger counterpart as he falls to his knees. Black ooze starts seeping through his fingers. Vegeta stares at his son, horrified, and he turns back to attack the offender. Only Goten has already left. Off in the direction of the high tensioned ki. The ouji curses and yells at Piccolo, "You! Take care of my son! I'm going after him!" Knowing better than to argue, Piccolo nods, and Vegeta flies off after "Goten" as fast as he can.  
  
****  
  
Goku pants heavily as he and Kakarot come to a stand still once again. He notes that he got a few good hits in that last bout and that Kakarot's fairing badly. Then again, he isn't doing so well himself. He wipes the blood from his forehead, keeping it from going in his eye. Kakarot takes that second to charge once again, gaining an upper hand. He gives Goku a hard punch in the gut, sending him down 50 feet into the ground. Shaking, the young saiyajin sits up and winces at the pain coming from his chest. His ribs are probably decimated by now. Not willing to give up, he clambers to his feet, taking in painful sharp intakes of breath. Then he realizes with horror, that Kakarot has already started his finishing move.  
  
Already surrounded by a red ball of light, all Kakarot has to do is throw his Annialation attack at him and then it'll all be over. Goku hastily looks around for Gohan's body, so that he can teleport them both out of there. All of a sudden he hears a choking noise coming from his opponent's direction and to his amazement, he sees Goten up in the sky, Kakarot hanging limply in his arms.  
  
Goku smiles and pumps a fist into the air, "Yeah! Way to go, Goten!" Then cries, "OW!!" cradling his arms around his chest. "Goten" tosses Kakarot aside like a rag doll. The young saiyajin protests, "Hey! Careful! That's my body!"  
  
The saiyajin just smirks and floats down onto the ground, right in front of Goku. Covered in shadow, Goku's eyes widen and he subconsciously steps back, alarm bells going off in his head.  
  
"Goten" smiles, "Look at what I have here. An immortal brat." He chuckles ruefully, "Who would have thought that my success would come from an endangered species?"  
  
Goku frowns in confusion, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Immortality, Goku! Immortality! The one thing I have strived for ever since the beginning of my existence! The one thing that keeps me from my throne of power!" "Goten" leans down to the little saiyajin's level and gives him a feral grin, "You don't seem to know how valuable you are, do you?"  
  
Goku stares at him, horrified and he chokes out, "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Goten" laughs, "Now you get it!" He pulls out his sword and brings the ice cold tip under Goku's chin, tilting his head up to get a better look. "I want it, Goku. I need it. Give it to me!"  
  
With his ki already drained to nearly nil and barely able to move, Goku is helpless, unable to defend himself. He steps back from the sword and whispers, "I can't give it to you. Even if I could I probably wouldn't! Now answer me when I ask who you are!"  
  
"Goten" cocks his head slightly and grins, "How convenient that you're so weak after your fight with Kakarot."  
  
Goku keeps slowly walking backwards, away from this new opponent, "Why do you say that?"  
  
"Because, since you can't give me your immortality, I'll just have to take it from you." Suddenly he charges straight at Goku. Before the young saiyajin can even breathe, he gets slammed into the ground, creating a mini crater with his body. Goten flies high up into the air, only to zoom back down, heels first right into Goku's stomach.  
  
Goku gasps in pain and coughs some blood onto his chest. His opponent tosses him up in the air with his foot and kicks him into a mass of iron bars. Goku screams in pain and more bones are broken and jutting out of his skin. His whole body is all nearly coated with crimson blood and he curls into a defensive ball on his side, throwing up a mixture of vomit and blood. "Goten" calmly walks over to his shaking body and smiles maniacally. Then begins a whole new round of excessive violence.  
  
Finally, when the young saiyajin starts to look nearly unidentifiable, his psychopathic torturer stops his beating and kneels by Goku's side, into the pool of blood that surrounded the chibi. He laughs, "So it's true! Those attacks should have killed you! Hell, you look dead enough already!" He slaps Goku on the back, and the little saiyajin cries out in pain. "Goten" grins, "So, how does it feel to be immortal?"  
  
Goku can't speak and struggles for breath through long, hard wheezes. He keeps his eyes shut tight, enduring the excessive agony that he's going through. Then with a final effort he puts both hands on the ground and tries to feebly get up, but "Goten" pushes him back down with his foot and keeps it there. Then he draws out his sword once more, holding the shiny blade above Goku's heart. "Just to let you know, you should feel honored. You are my last stepping stone to my reign of power." A sick smile crawls on his face, "Whole worlds, no, galaxies shall be under my total control and I shall rule them for eternity! The gods themselves shall bow down to my power!  
  
He laughs with glee, "And it'll all be thanks to you, Son Goku!" He puts both hands onto his sword, raising the blade above his head. "I hope that you have a wonderful nonexistence!"  
  
Suddenly they both hear a loud yell of fury and Vegeta comes to the rescue! (Although VERY late.) He kicks Goten in the face and sends him flying across the battlefield. Chibi Vegeta pulls Goku to his feet and yells, "Prince Goku! Come on! Get up! We need to fuse and beat this guy!" Goku stares at him in disbelief, his legs swaying under him and then he falls back down, unconscious. The ouji stares at him and yells, "Aw, dammit!"  
  
Then he gets covered in shadow and he turns around to see a really ticked off saiyajin behind him. He smiles nervously, his mouth twitching at one side, "Eh... Hi?" Goten growls and slashes his sword at him. With a yipe, the chibified ouji dodges it and flies back ten feet. He glares at his opponent and then goes into a fighting stance, "If that's the way you want to play it!" The saiyajin gives him a very unimpressed look and starts to slowly walk towards the ouji. Vegeta glares him down, keeping his position.  
  
All of a sudden, a small hand grabs Vegeta's leg, and looking down the ouji sees Gohan's tired looking face smiling at him. "Fusion?"  
  
Vegeta nods, acting quickly by lifting Gohan up from the ground and changing his ki to Gohan's level. "Goten's" eyes widen and he curses, "Dammit!" running at the two while they start their fusion dance. Out of the blue, he gets blasted in the back by a strong attack and turns to see Piccolo high in the air with Mirai beside him, holding a now resting Trunks. Vegeta and Gohan finish their fusion dance quickly enough, forming a chibi Gogeta of a different sort. "Goten" looks around at the group, not liking his odds. He eyes Goku's unconscious form lying nearby and runs for him, but Gogeta is too quick and picks him up off the ground before "Goten" could reach him.  
  
His opponent glares at Gogeta, absolutely furious. He holds up his sword and yells, "Just save yourself a lot of trouble and give him to me!"  
  
The fusion smirks, "Trouble? The only one who's going to get into trouble is you." As if on cue, Vegeta's chibi time expires and Gogeta grows into a teenager, nearly doubling in strength.  
  
"Goten's" eyes widen and he takes a step back, but he growls, "I won't be defeated so easily! I shall have him!"  
  
"You'll have to get through me, Mr. Nameck, and Mirai Brat first!" Gogeta declares as he clutches Goku possessively. Piccolo and Mirai both look at the fusion very oddly.  
  
The dark saiyajin scowls and charges... Not at Gogeta, but at Kakarot! "Goten" yells, "If I can't have Goku now! I'll take a consolation prize in the meantime!" And he drives his sword into Kakarot's chest, impaling him, before the rest can stop him. Kakarot wakes up from his stupor, screaming in agony as the crystalline sword is thrust into his heart. Too late, Piccolo hits Goten in the chest sending him flying from his sword and victim.  
  
Staring up at this foreign display of kindness, Kakarot's eyes widen, but he's already dying from loss of blood. He chokes on the blood welling up in his throat and curls onto his side, pulling the blade from his chest. Gogeta yells, "NO! Don't! The blood will flow faster!"  
  
Kakarot shudders in pain, as he draws the weapons from his bloody heap of a chest. But he smirks at his would be rescuers, "It doesn't matter... I'm dead anyway." His skin is already as white as snow, as all the blood drains from his body onto the ground.  
  
Gogeta watches him in horror and he turns to "Goten" in a fury, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! WHAT USE IS HE TO YOU IF YOU KILL HIM?!"  
  
"Goten" smiles, "He won't die, he'll just belong to me."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Mirai demands, equally sickened and horrified as the others.  
  
But then they're interrupted by the sound of shrill screams. The three warriors turn to see the crystalline sword hovering off the ground and vibrating as it emits thousands upon thousands of different screams. Screams of the old, the young, women and men, all of them screaming of such absolute terror and agony, chills crawl up the fighters' spines. Suddenly, Kakarot begins screaming too, even though he's nearly dead, joining the chorus of voices emitting from the blade. Then the impossible happens.  
  
Kakarot's body begins to blacken and liquefy as his screams become even worse. Soon, there is nothing but a puddle of oozing decay. Gogeta demands, "What kind of witchcraft is this?!" The ooze snakes its way over to "Goten" who welcomes it with a smile, dipping his tail into it. The black liquid climbs up his tail, covering all of it and spreading over the rest of his body like a thick layer of mud. Gogeta, Mirai, and Piccolo back away from him, disgusted.  
  
When the ooze finally covers him completely, it takes a humanoid form and the black starts peeling off by itself, revealing new skin.  
  
Piccolo says, "We have to get out of here, now."  
  
Gogeta yells, "And just leave him, it, whatever, here like this?! We have to defeat him!"  
  
"No. We have to take care of the kids. We can't leave them off to the side and fight him! We have to go!"  
  
The fusion scowls and clutches Goku tighter. Resolving the issue in his mind, he nods his assent. "Alright, let's go. While we can."  
  
Just then, Trunks begins to wake up and he says groggily, "Wha? What time is it?"  
  
Mirai mutters, "Time to leave."  
  
His younger counterpart looks around until his gaze fixes on the black ooze. Upon which he bolts up in Mirai's arms and yells, "Holy! What the hell is that?!"  
  
Gogeta already flying off, yells, "Come ON! We're leaving!"  
  
Wide-eyed, Trunks points down at the newly emerging figure, catching the others' attention.  
  
Most of the black is already off, revealing a dramatic change. The saiyajin's body became much more muscular and his hair more like Kakarot's unruly mop of hair, but it still has those two bangs he starts out with. "Goten" smirks at the change, ruffling his new hair with a hand and calls up, "What do you think? A bit much? Maybe I could do with a makeover in general." Before the other's can respond, "Goten's" form changes once more, right before their eyes.  
  
Gogeta whispers, "He's a shape shifter..."  
  
The new form has relatively normal auburn hair with a small ponytail at the back. His body becomes more compact and his skin more bronzed. His face gets even more pretty-boy than Mirai's. The tail is gone, but he gains blades forming out of his lower arms as formidable weapons. This form is completely different than the saiyajin one before, but even then, Gogeta doubts that this is the monster's true form.  
  
"Blade" as the fusion now dubs him, picks up his sword from the ground and points it at Goku's direction. Then he stalks off towards the innards of the ruined city. Mirai demands, "What was that about?"  
  
"He said that he's going to get Goku," Trunks answers.  
  
Gogeta scowls, "If he does, it'll be over my dead body."  
  
Watching the others, Piccolo finally turns towards Capsule Corp's direction. "Come on, let's go." And so they leave, at a draw.  
  
****  
  
A/N: Yes, I know what you're saying. She put ANOTHER villain in?! Ah well, I was kind of inspired by a friend about a year ago, blame her. *sigh* I wonder if anyone's still reading this? Anyway, you have to wonder. Is it Vegeta talking? Or is it Gohan? 


	79. At the hospital

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Uh hi guys! Sorry about the long wait! I didn't mean to be held back like this!  
  
****  
  
Bulma comes out of the examining room at the hospital, a grave look on her face. The remaining Z-senshi along with ChiChi are awaiting her in the lobby, all anxious on hearing about Goku's condition. Gohan comes out of the fight alright with just a senzu bean, and whatever Blade hit Trunks in the face with is gone now. However, when they took Goku up to the Lookout for Dende to heal, the little Kami said that the damage was too extensive for him to heal Goku the right way. He warned them that if he tried then all of Goku's organs and bones may become mutated beyond repair. That's when Bulma suggested that they take Goku to one of the best hospitals in the country.  
  
Fearing it would look odd, if all of them came in with this injured child, Vegeta volunteered to ahead with Goku to the hospital and to call them over when he had the chance. So when the group finally comes they had already diagnosed all of Goku's injuries and sent him into a private emergency ward with his own set of nurses and doctors. Now all there is left to do is find out his condition and leave it to the doctors.  
  
ChiChi demands anxiously, "How is he Bulma? Will he be alright?"  
  
The blue haired scientist sighs, "Well, he is alive, thanks to his immortality. But the damage is very extensive, and all the doctors are convinced that he should be dead."  
  
Gohan gulps, "How bad is it?"  
  
Bulma gives them a worried look and then begins listing off all the injuries, "Well first off, all his joints have been disrelocated, nearly all his bones have been turned into rubble, major internal injuries, collapsed lungs, ruptured stomach, broken spine, severe head injuries. If he ever does wake up he's most likely going to be traumatized for life. He's also liable to become blind when or if he wakes up."  
  
The group looks at each other, seemingly distraught. Her future son says shakily, "Well so much for not imprinting his brain when he's little."  
  
Trunks mutters, "No wonder Dende couldn't heal him. If he tried Goten's insides would've turned into mush."  
  
Gohan yells, "Will you stop calling him Goten?!"  
  
Bulma says sharply, "Hey! Cool it, you two!" Gohan and Trunks glare at each other. "Look, the tension in this room is just too high. All we can do now is just wait and let the doctors do their work."  
  
"So where's Dad anyway?" Mirai asks.  
  
ChiChi scowls, "He's probably training back at Capsule Corps! That man has no-"  
  
Her friend interrupts her, "Actually he's in Goku's room, right now."  
  
ChiChi says in confusion, "Wait, he didn't get hurt too?"  
  
"No, he's been 'guarding' Goku. And it looks like he's going to be staying there, too. He managed to move all his training gear into the room and an extra bed. I tried getting him out, but literally threw me out!" Bulma huffs, "Honestly, he acts like the whole world's going to end if he doesn't watch him." The fighters look at each other with guilty looks, knowing they sort of dumped the responsibility on the saiyajin no ouji.  
  
Oblivious to them, the raven haired housewife says, "And this is the man who used to say, 'Weak people are useless beings that don't deserve to live.'" She turns to the fighers and asks, "What happened out there anyway? You never told us. And where's Goten?"  
  
At once the senshi jump up, making up different excuses to leave and run off. Bulma blinks, "Strange."  
  
ChiChi nods, also staring after them, "Very."  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, in Goku's room, doctors hook Goku up to a heart rate monitor and a breathing apparatus. They also start running extra tests on him and are maybe just to run another x-ray or a cat-scan at least at far as the prince can tell.  
  
Vegeta just watches them from a corner of the room, disgusted. He mutters to himself, "Kami, do these people never learn? The only good weakling is a dead one. No wonder this planet's population is so damn high."  
  
He sighs, scanning each of the doctor's faces. He knows it probably wouldn't do any good since their opponent's a shape shifter, but damned if he ever let him just take over the universe just because of one careless little mistake on the ouji's part. {They better fix him though, I can't babysit him Prince Goku forever!} He curses out loud, realizing he even thinks the name Prince Goku, earning a couple odd looks from some nurses. Vegeta glares at them and they quickly get back to work, {I can't just leave him in the hands of these... idiots! He'd be a sitting duck! What kind of security do they have in this place if I can just run in here with an injured person and get into their most critical unit without a hitch?!}  
  
Then Bulma opens the door, wearing those green robes that everyone is required to wear in the medical unit. She spots Vegeta and yells, "Vegeta! You're still in here?! Get out! You're going to get in the doctors way!"  
  
The ouji looks at her with narrow eyes, and he says, "Maybe if I said it slower you'll understand me, because I've said it a hundred times already- THERE IS NO FRICKIN' WAY I'M LEAVING THIS ROOM!!!"  
  
Everyone in the room and some people in the hallway stop what they're doing to stare at the ouji. Vegeta merely gives them all his infamous death glare and they get back to work once more and under more pressure.  
  
Bulma sighs, massaging her forehead, "Alright. Have it your own way."  
  
Vegeta blinks, "You're agreeing with me?"  
  
His mate nods, "Yup, especially since they're moving Goku into the operating room now for surgery. So you can stay right here."  
  
Even as she speaks, the lead nurse yells, "Okay! Let's move him!" And they simultaneously hold up Goku and move him onto a stroller and rush him out into the hallway.  
  
Vegeta watches them wide-eyed and goes past Bulma, "I'm going with him."  
  
Bulma grabs his collar and pulls him back in front of her, saying in dangerously low voice, "You're not going anywhere."  
  
"Let go of me, onna!"  
  
"There is no way, I'm just going to let you go in there after him WHILE THEY'RE DOING_SURGERY_ON GOKU!!!"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "Well how long is this surgery going to take?"  
  
"Well considering his serious medical condition, and the fact that the doctors can't figure out how he could possibly be ALIVE, I'd say more than 15 hours."  
  
"WHAT?!" Vegeta yelps. "YOU CAN'T LEAVE HIM ALONE THAT LONG!"  
  
"TOO BAD, BUCKO! WE ARE!" Bulma lets go of the ouji and continues, "BECAUSE UNLIKE SOMEONE I KNOW, I ACTUALLY TRUST THE DOCTORS HERE! SO THERE!" Then she storms out of the room, slamming the door loudly.  
  
Vegeta scowls and gets up, opening the door to look into the hallway. He sees Bulma stalking off in Goku's direction, but the young saiyajin and the doctors have already disappeared. Absolutely furious, he slams a fist on the end table next to him, "DAMN IT ALL!" demolishing it. He scowls and leans on the doorframe, fuming at anyone who comes near. Several people pass by, and he sees another doctor heading off in Goku's direction, wearing those ugly green robes, mask and surgeon's cap, not an unusual thing in a hospital, but Vegeta can swear he sees recognition in those eyes.  
  
Instantly suspiscious, he follows the doctor out the door, taking a better look at him. That's when he notices the long, thin object making an impression at the back of the surgeon's pants. He yells, "Hey you!" But Blade grins at him and walks into a room, respectively named, "Operating Room 15-B"  
  
The ouji stares at the door in disbelief, "He wouldn't dare... Wait a minute! Yes he would!" Without any tact at all, Vegeta storms in after him, only to find the room full of doctors, all wearing the same thing as Blade. He curses, "Dammit! Which one?!"  
  
But then a nurse tries to usher Vegeta out of the room, "I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to wait with the others."  
  
"But-"  
  
Suddenly angry the nurse yells, "NO BUTS! NOW GET OUT!" She grabs him by the collar and tosses him out of the room, right up against the wall. Vegeta just stares at the slammed door in disbelief. No one in his life ever had the audacity to- How dare she?! And when it really matters, too! "Crap! I have to get in there! But how?!" He looks at all the other green robed doctors in the area and mutters, "I wonder..."  
  
He spots a doctor that is just about to head into the operating room. Vegeta jumps up and stops him, "Hey, are you supposed to be operating on Pr- that kid with the tail?"  
  
The doctor nods and says with a very pronounced accent, "Vhy, yesh. How deed yiu know?"  
  
Vegeta points down the hall a bit, "They put him in room 15-D," bluffing.  
  
The surgeon nods, "That's odd, I was told-"  
  
"Never mind what you were told. Come with me." Vegeta leads him into another room, only a little ways away from 15-B. He ushers the doctor into the room and closes the door on them, only then, turning on the light.  
  
"Vhat?! Vhy zis ish zee janitor's closet!"  
  
"I know." Then he gives the doctor and light knock on the head, K.O.ing him. A minute later, Vegeta, now dressed as a doctor and tying his hair down into a pony tail under the surgeon's cap, comes out of the room, and hurries over to 15-B.  
  
He walks into the operating room with only the intention of guarding Goku while they operate on him. Before anyone notices him, he does a quick scan and finally recognizes those eyes that belonged to Blade. They narrow at the sight of him and he smirks, {Yeah, that's right. You won't get anywhere near him now.} Just as he's about to drag Blade out of the room and fight him, the nurse that kicked him out the first time, comes to him once again. "Doctor Zimmerman! You're finally here!"  
  
He looks around, but then notices the name tag on his shirt. Thinking quickly, he copies the doctor's accent and says, "Ya, I vas held up."  
  
To his surprise she turns around and yells, "Alright! Doctor Zimmerman is here! Now we can start operating!"  
  
Vegeta's face fell, {WHAT?!} as they push him over to Goku's side. He turns white as a sheet, almost forgetting the accent, "You wan- Yiu vant ME to operate on heem?!"  
  
"Of course, you are the lead surgeon," someone answers.  
  
That's when the ouji realizes he's in it deep.  
  
****  
  
At the same time, behind the black mirror of the operating room, and beyond Vegeta's knowledge, the rest of the Z-senshi along with Bulma, ChiChi, and a few other doctors watch as "Dr. Zimmerman" comes into the room.  
  
Bulma says excitedly, "Oh, and there's Dr. Zimmerman! He's the best surgeon on this side of the planet! He even got a PhD in neurosurgery and has been in the operating room for nearly twenty years!"  
  
The group watch him and frown, noting there's something very odd about him. Then Trunks blurts out, "He looks familiar."  
  
His mother frowns, "Don't be ridiculous. You've never met anyone at this hospital before."  
  
Mirai says, "Wait a minute... I think I've seen him before too."  
  
Gohan pales, "Uh, guys? Where's Vegeta?"  
  
****  
  
Suddenly Piccolo bursts into the operating room, yelling, "STOP! That's not Dr. Zimmerman! That's an imposter!" The group of doctors stare at him, never having seen a green, pointy eared alien in their life before.  
  
Vegeta says quickly, "Don't vorry, I'll deal vit heem." He calmly escorts Piccolo outside into the hallway, but once the door is closed, he screams, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Before Piccolo can answer, the ouji says in a threatening tone, "Nameck, don't you dare get me kicked out or, I swear, I'll kill you! That-that thing! Blade! Is in there RIGHT NOW! If you really want to help Prince Goku, THEN DON'T SCREW ME OVER!"  
  
Piccolo looks stunned, not an expression he uses often, "Vegeta, you're the one who has to operate on him!"  
  
"Dammit I know that!" He points to himself, "Look, I know what I'm doing. I've had all of his injuries before, not simultaneously mind you, but I know how to deal with collapsed lungs and internal injuries and stuff like that. I went out of Frieza's torture sessions with at least one punctured lung and Kami knows what else. And every time I had to heal myself without a Regeneration Tank! And Kami knows, I know better about saiyajin anatomy than any of those bakas in there! So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back in there and frickin' operate on him! And tell the others I'm still in Prince Goku's room!"  
  
Without even giving, Piccolo a say, he storms back into the room and orders loudly, "Lock zee door!" He turns to Goku's side and says, "Now... ve're ready to operate."  
  
He pauses to look at all the foreign surgical tools and sweatdrop, thinking to himself, {This is going to suck.} He looks back at Blade, and his resolve hardens. "Clean zee area and hand me a shcalpel."  
  
****  
  
Nearly thirteen hours later, the procedure is done and the nurses and doctors congratulate Vegeta as he slowly trudges out of the room and they wheel Goku back towards his private ward. Mentally and physically exhausted, Vegeta doesn't pay attention to a word that they're saying. All he knows is that Goku is relatively fixed, that Blade had given up and left about six hours into the operation, and that he's too tired to even think of sleeping.  
  
Suddenly someone cries, "STOP ZEE OPERATION! STOP!"  
  
To Vegeta's utter dismay, he realizes that the REAL Dr. Zimmerman is staggers towards them, wearing only boxers, socks, and an undershirt, and looking very dizzy from Vegeta's knock on the head. He comes up to Vegeta and points at him, "Zis man is an imposture! Yiu must not let heem operate!"  
  
The nurses stare from him to Vegeta back to him again. The lead nurse finally turns to Vegeta, who thinks, {This is not good.}  
  
But she smiles and says, "You must be an angel!"  
  
Vegeta stares at her in disbelief through his blurry, tired eyes, "Excuse me?"  
  
She takes his hand, shaking it vigorously, "Not only did you do a marvelous job on the patient, but you prevented this drunk from performing surgery on him!" The ouji blinks, trying to figure out what she was saying. She pauses and frowns, "Wait a sec. If you're not Dr. Zimmerman, then who are you?"  
  
"....Wha?"  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
The ouji tries shaking his head clear and says, "I really can't tell you."  
  
A doctor beside him says, "But we want to employ you!"  
  
Someone else whispers into his ear, "This story is worth thousands!"  
  
Soon, Vegeta starts getting swarmed. He sweatdrops, "I need to get going!" And he rushed off, but only after someone grabs his surgeon's cap, revealing his long, black hair, still tied up in a ponytail. He runs around the corner into an empty corridor and dumps the blood speckled surgeon clothes in a trash can before he hurries to Goku's room.  
  
He find the room empty and closes the door behind him, and sits down on the chair, just before the door opens once again, with the doctors wheeling Goku into the room on his stroller, Bulma right behind them. They put Goku back onto his bed and Vegeta pretends that it's interesting.  
  
His mate walks up to him with a triumphant little smirk on her face, "See? I told you that it wouldn't be the end of the world."  
  
The ouji says gruffly, "What took you so long?"  
  
That pushes Bulma off her victorious mood and she sighs, "Well it actually took less time than it was supposed to. And would you believe it! Some mysterious doctor showed up! We thought it was you at first, but-" She pauses, noticing Vegeta's baggy eyes. "Vegeta! Have you stayed up the whole time Goku was in surgery?!" By then the doctors had cleared the room.  
  
Vegeta snaps, "Of course not, onna! I don't give a damn about-" He groans, "Never mind that! Just get out of here! Prince Goku needs his rest!" He pushes Bulma out of the room and locks the door on everyone. He visibly slumps, "Finally, alone." He barely makes it to his bed and flops onto his bed, ready for a nice, looong rest.  
  
****  
  
A/N: Some of you were saying that this story doesn't belong in humor anymore. Hopefully this changed your mind. 


	80. At the hospital pt 2

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Hey guys! Didn't expect me so soon? Well, let's just say I have a lot of time on my hands. Besides I already pre-wrote most of the story. By hand, not on computer. But this is where the story is starting to break off into its AU-ness. Just to warn you. Anyone that doesn't like epics better bugger on off, cuz that's the way it'll be.  
  
****  
  
Vegeta glares at the doctor and says in a low, barely audible voice, "Tell me," he glances at the name tag, "Dr. Tang, exactly why hasn't Pri- the kid with the tail WOKEN UP YET?!!!"  
  
It been two weeks since Goku's operation and with the help of several senzu beans and some organ transplants, Goku is back to normal! Except that he hasn't woken up yet. In those two weeks of waiting, the whole Mysterious Doctor incident had become a legend, so Vegeta had to try very hard to stay away from the doctors, especially Zimmerman. He was hoping that he would get out of the hospital as soon as Goku had recovered, but his hopes had been cruelly dashed down.  
  
And he is not happy.  
  
Dr. Tang says apologetically, looking like he was on the verge of crying, "I'm sorry sir, but people in a coma tend to not wake up for a very long time."  
  
"I KNOW WHAT A DAMN COMA IS!" He pauses, then resumes to yelling again, "AND SINCE WHEN WAS HE IN A COMA?!"  
  
"Well, remember that little mix-up you had with the nurse who was going to give a shot to the wrong patient, our young friend, Goku here?"  
  
Vegeta nods, but the nurse had actually been Blade, trying to sneak in with his sword again. "Yes, well what of it?"  
  
The doctor gulps, "Well, it seems in that little tuff, you two accidently knocked over a piece of equipment that fell on Goku's head and that why he's- y'know," he looks over at Goku, "in a vegetative state."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Hey! Don't shoot the messenger! It's just the truth, that's all! Other than his coma, he's perfectly healthy! It's a miracle he's alive! When he wakes up he'll be a perfectly healthy kid! Assuming he isn't traumatized too badly and he isn't blind." Vegeta rolls his eyes and decides to go back to doing push-ups. Nervously, the doctor approaches him again, "There are several odd things I would like to point-"  
  
Vegeta growls in annoyance, "He was born with the tail."  
  
Dr. Tang says quickly, "No! That's not it! It's just that his stomach is unusually flexible! It has nothing to do with his coma, but it's still very odd."  
  
"I don't care about his stomach. I know it's big."  
  
"I didn't say big! I said flexible!"  
  
"I DON'T CARE IF IT CAN STRETCH TO THE MOON! The only thing I want to know is when he'll wake up!"  
  
The doctor cringes under the ouji's fury and says meekly, "We don't really know. It could be days, weeks, months, or even years! It really just depends on them."  
  
Vegeta's eye twitches, "Get out."  
  
Dr. Tang blinks, "Excuse me?"  
  
"I SAID GET OUT, DAMMIT!" He picks up a table ready to throw it at the doctor. The poor Dr. Tang shrieks and runs out of the hallway, narrowly missed by the table that comes after, smashing into bits. Vegeta fumes at the pile splinters, seething with fury.  
  
Just then, Mirai pops his head in the door, smiling nervously, "Uh, hi Dad." He notes the pile of timber outside the door, "Did I get you at a bad time?"  
  
His father glares at him, annoyed, "Yes, Mirai. Yes, you did."  
  
At this the teenager sweatdrops, "Maybe I should come later."  
  
"You baka. If you want something just come in and tell me."  
  
Mirai shakes his head, "No! No, I don't want anything, it's just that..."  
  
"...You brought 'her' again, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes, I did."  
  
Vegeta groans in exasperation, "She comes here EVERYDAY! That girl has nothing better to do than to come visit a nearly dead- VEGETABLE everyday!"  
  
Mirai whispers out the door, "Don't listen to that, he didn't mean it." Then he turns back to his father, giving a pleading look.  
  
The ouji caves in and sighs, "Fine, let's just get this over with." He plops down onto a seat, massaging his temples, as Mirai brings Danny into the room. He warns her, "You better not annoy me, brat." His son gives him a disapproving look, but the little girl gulps and nods, wide-eyed and terrified. Vegeta had to hand it to her. She's brave for coming here everyday. He notes a little bunch of flowers in her hands. "Are those for Pri- him?" nodding his head towards Goku.  
  
Danny says respectfully, "Yes, sir."  
  
"Why do you always bring him something? He's not going to be waking up any time soon."  
  
She nods, "I know, sir." She puts the flowers in a vase along with the tons of other bouquets that friends and admirers sent the little "Miracle Child." Amid the collection of flowers that would make a florist drool with envy are bags of unopened mail for Goku, the Mysterious Doctor, and even Vegeta. After that Danny sits down in a chair next to Goku's bed and looks up at Mirai, "Do you think that the Mysterious Doctor will come and make Goku feel better?"  
  
Vegeta rolls his eyes, "Brat, the Mysterious Doctor can do squat for him. If he could he would've already done it."  
  
Danny looks at Goku, feeling hurt, and Mirai asks, "Now why did you have to go say something like that? It's like telling a kid that Santa Claus isn't real."  
  
Vegeta smirks, "No, there's a difference. Santa Claus really isn't real. The Mysterious Doctor is, but he's a VERY desperate man."  
  
His son raises an eyebrow, "You know, Dad. It kind of sounds like you're jealous of him."  
  
The ouji stares at him, genuinely shocked. He barely sputters, "Wh-WHAT?! HOW COULD I POSSIBLY BE JEALOUS OF HIM?!"  
  
Mirai sighs, shaking his head. He holds out his hand to Danny and says, "Come on, Danny. We better go."  
  
They start leaving the room, but Vegeta isn't done with them yet, "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?! I'M TELLING YOU, I'M NOT JEALOUS OF HIM ONE BIT! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE!"  
  
Right at the same time, on the roof of the hospital, Blade growls and paces the roof top, which seems to be his permanent residence now. Fuming, he mutters to himself, "I'm sick and tired of this foolish play! That saiyajin has stopped me one too many times!" He sits down on the edge of the roof, dangling his feet off the side and looking into the blood red sun.  
  
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow, this place will be turned into rubble and I will have Goku no matter what."  
  
****  
  
The next morning...  
  
~Coming up this hour, a woman claims to have been cured of liver cancer by the Mysterious Doctor~  
  
'click'  
  
~yet another man arrested for trying to perform surgery on a patient without a medical license, trying to impersonate the Mysterious~  
  
'click'  
  
~and more on the investigation of the Mysterious Doctor's~  
  
'click'  
  
Vegeta sighs, resting his head on the palm of his hand, lazily channel surfing on the cable TV they had in Goku's room. They told him that it may help bring Goku out of the coma, but the ouji suspected it's because they don't want him breaking any more stuff. He mutters in annoyance, "Kami, is there nothing on TV?"  
  
He leaves the TV on and goes back to eating his breakfast. Looking down at Goku with an odd look, he dangles the bowl of oatmeal under his nose.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
He sighs once more and goes back to flipping channels. Out of the blue he spots the hospital that they're in right now and leaves it there, suddenly interested. A blond haired female reporter smiles at the camera and says, ~And this is where the Mysterious Doctor made his first appearance.~  
  
Vegeta mutters, "You mean his ONLY appearance."  
  
~As we all know, the Mysterious Doctor came out of nowhere and saved Son Goku's life, who was almost beyond death.~ The ouji casts a look over at the unconscious saiyajin and turns his attention back to the screen. The reporter indicates someone off screen and says, ~And now here we have Dr. Zimmerman, who claims to have met the Mysterious Doctor himself, without his mask!~  
  
At once, Vegeta snorts on his oatmeal, getting some off the gunk stuck up his sinuses. He yelps and tries getting the oatmeal out of his nasal area. Grabbing a glass of water he washes it down and stares at the screen in complete horror. "Crap! He's going to screw up everything! I should've just killed him instead of knocking him unconscious!"  
  
~Now, Dr. Zimmerman, you were the surgeon that was supposed to operate on the Miracle Child, Goku, am I right?~  
  
Vegeta laughs weakly, "Heh, Miracle Child, right." He would've burst into fits of laughter then if he wasn't so agitated over the Zimmerman thing.  
  
Dr. Zimmerman nods, ~Ya, I am he.~  
  
~Could you please explain to us the condition of this nine year old boy?~  
  
~Vell, he had many internal injuries, collapsed lungs, ruptured shtomach, very, very many broken bones.~  
  
~We also heard he's in a coma. Is that true?~  
  
The doctor coughs into his hands and declares as if he were someone important, ~No comment.~  
  
~Could you tell us how he got hurt in the first place?~  
  
~Hell, I don't know. Zee man who brought heem in vas not able to tell us.~  
  
~Is this man somehow related to the boy?~  
  
~Vell, I never met heem personally, but I zink he is zee father of zee boy.~  
  
Vegeta blinks, before he screams out, "WHAT?!!!"  
  
The reporter nods, ~That's very interesting. Now you claim to have seen the Mysterious Doctor in person?~  
  
~Ya, just before I vas goink to operate, he came up to me and led me into zee janitor's closet and shtole clothes.~  
  
The blonde woman laughs, but Vegeta thinks that it is no where near funny. She pulls out a picture and shows it to Dr. Zimmerman, ~Now this is a composite that the nurses from the operating room came up with. Does it match what you saw of him?~  
  
Frowning at the picture, Dr. Zimmerman shakes his head, ~Zee eyes look zee same, but zee man I say had amazingly pointy hair.~  
  
Vegeta clutches his bowl and damns his luck that Goku's room isn't in the front of the office so he can blast the doctor into the next dimension.  
  
Then the reporter pulls out yet another picture, ~Now this is the composite that the police came up with from your description.~ She shows it to him first, before the camera. ~Is that correct?~  
  
Dr. Zimmerman nods, ~Ya, zat is heem.~  
  
Then to the ouji's horror, the blonde shows the picture to the camera. He winces at the drawing, thinking to himself, {It doesn't look like me... That much...}  
  
The reporter frowns at the picture, ~Funny, he looks like a troll.~  
  
The ouji's eye twitches.  
  
She turns back to the doctor, ~Now isn't it true that you were found drunk right after the operation was performed?~  
  
Dr. Zimmerman pales, ~Vhat? Vell, I~  
  
~Couldn't you have possibly been too influenced by the bottle when you saw him?~  
  
~Of course not! I vas never~  
  
The reporter smiles patronizingly, ~Of course you weren't. Thank you so much doctor.~ She ushers him off the camera. Vegeta doesn't know who the hell she is, but he could kiss her right now. That is, until she brings the next guest.  
  
~Now we have Bulma Briefs, president of Capsule Corps, and the wife of the man who brought in Goku, who just happened to come visit the hospital today.~ She smiles at Bulma, ~Can you please tell us your husband's name ma'am?~  
  
Vegeta yells at the screen, "DAMMIT ONNA! I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE REPORTERS!"  
  
Bulma smiles, ~His name's Vegeta.~  
  
~Vegeta Briefs?~  
  
~Yup.~  
  
By then, the ouji realizes that this is some sort of sick torture set up for him.  
  
~So, Mrs. Briefs, first of all is Goku your son?~  
  
The blue haired scientist laughs, ~No! Of course not! That's the silliest thing I ever heard! He doesn't even have family. He's just my son's friend. We take care of him.~  
  
~That's very sweet of you, ma'am. So can you shed any light on how Goku got to be this way?~  
  
~I don't know really. All I know is that Vegeta called from the hospital saying that Goku was very hurt.~  
  
~Well, I don't mean to suggest anything, but do you think that your husband had anything to do with Goku's injuries?~  
  
Bulma scoffs, ~Of course not. Vegeta wouldn't do a thing to hurt Goku. He won't admit it outloud, but he's very fond of him.~  
  
Vegeta's eye twitches once more.  
  
~Mrs. Briefs, you've seen both composites of the Mysterious Doctor, does anyone you know fit the description?~  
  
His mate laughs, ~Well, it looks almost like Vegeta.~  
  
The ouji stares at the screen and screams at it, "YOU IDIOT!!!" Then he goes to the wall and starts banging his head against it.  
  
The blonde reporter says in sudden interest, ~And is your husband a doctor?~  
  
~Nope. He doesn't even like doctors. Plus he's never been to medical school... I think.~  
  
Her interviewer gives a sullen 'oh' of disappointment, but then smiles, ~So you're here with all your friends and family? Why are you all here?~  
  
Bulma grins, ~Oh we're here to throw a surprise party for Vegeta and Goku,~ indication the whole Z-senshi behind her.  
  
Someone tugs on her dress and a voice asks, ~Mom, what if Dad's watching TV right now?~  
  
~Don't be silly he never watches the news.~  
  
Vegeta sighs, "Think again, onna."  
  
The reporter smiles, ~Oh, this must be your son.~ And the camera goes down, zooming in on Trunks' face. And a microphone is pushed under his mouth. ~Hello, what's your name?~  
  
~Trunks.~  
  
~And how old are you?~  
  
~Eight.~ By then the reporters notices how much more serious Trunks is than other boys his age.  
  
~Uh... Well, are you worried about your friend, Goku?~  
  
~Well, duh.~  
  
The reporter sweatdrops, and Vegeta gives his son a proud smile. She strains with a smile and asks, ~So why are you throwing a surprise party for your dad?~  
  
~He's been stuck in that hospital ever since he brought Gote- Goku over. We want to give him a break.~  
  
His interviewer says in admiration, ~Wow, he sounds like a person with a pure heart.~ She's interrupted by a whole bunch of snickers on the Z- senshi's part.  
  
Vegeta twitches, "Oh I'm pure alright. Pure EVIL!!!"  
  
The blonde turns back to Bulma and asks, ~Do you think it's possible that we could meet Vegeta?~  
  
Bulma frowns, ~Well, I'm not so sure that's a good idea. He doesn't like reporters.~ Then she brightens, ~But we can still try anyway!~  
  
The ouji's face faults, "WHAT?!"  
  
The reporter beams at the camera, ~Oh this is so exciting! We'll be the first News Channel to actually show live coverage on Goku, the Miracle Child! And Vegeta, the supposed Guardien of Goku.~  
  
Staring at the screen, Vegeta yells, "WHAT THE HELL?! OH JUST LET THEM COME UP HERE!" He starts rolling up his sleeves, "I'LL MAKE THEM WISH THEY WERE NEVER BORN!" He watches the screen, seething with fury, as they walk down a familiar hallway and comes up to their door. Suddenly the camera catches someone on the tape completely unexpected.  
  
The ouji pales, "Oh crap! We have to get out of here!" He wrenches Goku away from all the wires and contraption, smashing through the window and flying high up in the air and as fast as he can away from the hospital.  
  
A split second after Vegeta carries Goku off, Blade kicks open the door, hastily looking around. However, he sees nothing but an empty room, and a now static TV screen, then the broken window. He gapes at the window and searches for the ouji's ki. Vegeta is already shielded and gone. Blade balls up his hands into fists as an unimaginable fury takes over his body.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"  
  
Above in the sky, Vegeta suddenly gets hit with an after wave of an energy explosion and quickly looks behind him. Nearly blinded by the light, he squints to see that nearly half the city is submerges in molten hot, golden energy that would disintegrate any normal human being as well as mortally burn any one of the Z-senshi. The heat of the blast surges higher up and further away, until he gets to a high plateau to view the damage. Smoke fumes up from the liquefied ruins and Vegeta figures that anyone who was in that city is probably now dead. Only by a miracle he and Goku are alive.  
  
Horror stricken, his legs cave out beneath him and he falls to his knees, shaking violently. "Trunks and Mirai... Bulma... They're... Oh my God." He screams up at the sky in anguish, tears welling up in his eyes, "GOD, NO!!! WHY?!! AFTER ALL THIS, WHY, WHY, WHY?!!"  
  
He puts a hand to his face and whispers, "I could have saved them. I could have- the only thing stopping me...was..." He slowly turns and sees where he had carelessly dropped Goku's body. He croaks, "You... I could have saved them it if wasn't for YOU!!!"  
  
Vegeta storms over to Goku's body, his body shaking in violent fury. "DAMN YOU! HOW I CURSE THE DAY YOU WERE EVER_BORN_!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! EVERYTHING'S YOUR FAULT!! IF YOU HADN'T GOTTEN HIT IN THE FRICKIN' HEAD IN THE FIRST PLACE, THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED!!! NONE OF IT!! I WISH I NEVER EVEN MET YOU!!"  
  
WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE JUST DIED WHEN BLADE BEAT YOU INTO A BLOODY PULP!! WHY DOES EVERYONE ELSE HAVE TO PERISH, WHILE YOU LIVE IN IMMORTALITY?!!"  
  
He kicks Goku's body across the plateau, "ANSWER ME, DAMN YOU! WAKE UP!!!"  
  
The little saiyajin's body just lands a little further away, rolling to a stop. He stays in an unnatural pose, while some scratches on his face and arms start to bleed. Vegeta pants heavily and drops to the ground once again, mentally exhausted. After a few minutes, when he calms down and he gains his most of his sanity again, he says outloud, "We can't stay here," as if Goku was awake. "I'm going to take you over to Dende's. Maybe the little Nameck can see who survived. If anyone did..."  
  
****  
  
A/N: What can I possibly say to add to that? 


	81. At Mute Point

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Well I'm on a roll, now aren't I?  
  
****  
  
Vegeta lands on the marble tiles of the Lookout only a little while after the hospital blew up. Rushing right inside to the temple, yelling, "DENDE! DENDE! COME OUT HERE YOU LITTLE NAMECK!"  
  
One of the gold doors in a hallway open revealing, a droopy eyed Dende still in his nighties. He mutters, "Vegeta, don't you know what time zone it is up here?"  
  
"Oh shut up. You can sleep later. I want you to use your powers and see where the others are on Earth."  
  
The teenage Nameck blinks, "Huh? Why, what happened?"  
  
"Will you PLEASE just do it?!" Realizing that Vegeta only uses the 'P' word in desperate situations, Dende goes to it right away. The frowns, closing his eyes and senses all of the ki on the planet, trying to find those of the Z-senshi. After a while, he opens his eyes once more and Vegeta demands, "Well? What did you see?!"  
  
Dende gives him a wide eyed look, "I couldn't sense them anywhere. They just disappeared. Along with nearly a whole city full of people."  
  
Clenching his fists tightly, the ouji says in a quiet tone, "I see."  
  
The little Kami gives Vegeta a hopeful look, "Hey, cheer up! Whatever happened we can fix it! We just have to summon Shenlong!"  
  
Vegeta scowls, "I have to bodyguard, Prince Goku. I don't have any time to go Dragonball hunting."  
  
"Look, that's not a problem. I'll send Mr. Popo out to fetch them. Meanwhile, I know a great place that you can hide out with Goku." He rushes off to a separate room and brings out an ancient looking map, "Look, there's a forest on Earth that you can hide in and I guarantee, that Blade will never be able to find you there."  
  
Taking up the map, the ouji frowns at it, "I've never seen this place before."  
  
"Naturally. Anyone with a really high ki avoids the place subconsciously. Some old wizard put a curse on it a long time ago. When you're there, you can't sense ki or be sensed in it. It's bloody hard to use it to if you can't even feel your own. But it's a great place to hide and train without any chance of being found. I just found this map about a week ago, showing this place. I call it the Mute Point. You need the map to get there, or else you'll never be able to find it. And it's really hard to get out without it, too. So be careful with that paper."  
  
Vegeta gets highly suspiscious of the plan at this point, "Well, then how are you supposed to find me when the Dragonballs are collected?"  
  
Dende blinks, "Oh wait a sec." He pulls something out of his pocket and says, "This thing is connected to the map. It'll lead me straight to you." He shows the object to Vegeta. A small blinking, red ball. "It blinks at high frequency whenever it's near the map," Dende explains.  
  
The ouji sighs and stuffs the map into his pocket, "Alright. I feel at least a little less worried about this. I better go back to Capsule Corps to collect a few things before Blade tries to check it out."  
  
The little Nameck grins, "That's the spirit! We have a dragon radar up here so Mr. Popo can get started right away!" But then his voice turns grave, "But Vegeta... If I don't get to you within the next two weeks, assume the worst and don't leave that forest until you think that you can defeat Blade. Remember, you and Goku are all that the Earth has left."  
  
Vegeta merely nods and jumps off the temple's edge, Goku still tucked under his arm, taking a last look at the Lookout, unable to get rid of the feeling that this is the last time he's going to see it in a long time.  
  
****  
  
"AAARGH!!!!"  
  
An angry voice cries out in the middle of nowhere, startling the birds and sending them flying off into the pale blue sky.  
  
Vegeta glares at the map, hands shaking and says unsteadily, "Where the hell are we?! I can't even read this thing!"  
  
Wearing his normal training gear, the ouji had made it into Capsule Corps without a hitch and managed to pack a small bag full of capsules and even get Trunks' old baby carrier so that he can carry Goku on his back without being a real problem. It does look like of odd though.  
  
Trekking through the dense, jungle-like forest, Vegeta barely minds the snakes and bugs and quicksand as he keeps his eyes glued to the paper. He says outloud, "Do you have any idea where we are?" looking back at Goku. He still doesn't respond. The ouji sighs and notices in annoyance he's getting into a bad habit of talking to Goku in his coma as if he were awake.  
  
He mutters to himself, "I'm going crazy. Absolutely frickin' insane."  
  
Suddenly he trips on a log and falls down on his face, letting the paper fly from his hands. Wide eyed, Vegeta yelps and runs after it. It almost evades him, but with an extra burst of speed, he manages to catch it in the air and sighs a huge breath of relief. That is, until he hears a gushy, glumping sound under him.  
  
Shakily he looks down and shrieks, finding himself stuck in a humungous bog of black quicksand. "Dammit! My boots!" He sighs, and then flies out of there. Or at least he tries to. Getting absolutely nothing, he looks around and realizes with horror he's still in the same mess, only the quicksand is starting to go up past his boots. It's as if his ki has been turned off like a light switch. He yelps, "Oh no! I must be at the Mute Point! Crap! What a time for me not to be able to sense my own ki!"  
  
His eyes dart around and he sees a dangling vine coming down from a branch. Without hesitation, he grabs it, ready to pull himself up and out. However, the vine doesn't seem to agree and gives off a loud hiss, wriggling madly in Vegeta's hands.  
  
Staring down at the green snake in mute horror, Vegeta starts to turn blue. He screams at the top of his lungs and clambers out of the quicksand pit, running away from the snake as fast as he can, screaming bloody murder.  
  
****  
  
Vegeta pants heavily as he trudges along the forest floor, muttering inanely to himself, "Wriggly...snake...in my hands..." He turns around and sees that he's far, far away from both the quicksand pit and the snake. He gives a huge sigh of relief and takes Goku off his back, leaning up against a tree, and then checks the pocket he keeps his bag of capsules in, looking for the map, only to find nothing but lint.  
  
He mutters to himself, wide-eyed, "Holy *beep.*"  
  
Cursing as loudly and as profanely as he can, he picks up Goku and puts him back on his back, trying to figure which direction he came from. Even with his usually profound sense of direction, it's too easy to get lost in a place like this. It doesn't help that Vegeta was too busy screaming at the top of his lungs than looking at where he was going.  
  
He looks at seven possible paths that he could have gone through, all of them leading to more possible paths and all those leading to even more possible paths. He sweatdrops, "This is NOT good."  
  
****  
  
Hopelessly lost, Vegeta and the unconscious Goku wander around Mute Point, the cursed land where nobody can even feel his own ki, trying to find anyway out of the place. Vegeta had finally found the quicksand pit that he got stuck in, but no map and no bag of capsules. He assumes the worst and that they both got sucked into the pool. Since then he had been doing nothing but trying to find his way out of the cursed forest. He even climbed the tallest tree, only to find himself completely surrounded by trees. Trees, tress and nothing but trees. Only trees for thousands of miles.  
  
Taking Goku off his back to rest by the foot of a tree, he sighs tilting his head up against the tree trunks. "This place truly is cursed," he mutters to himself. He looks over at Goku and says, "If you know a way out of here, you better tell me." Of course, no response from the boy in a coma.  
  
Suddenly Vegeta's stomach gurgles, and he groans with hunger, "Dammit. All the food I packed was in the capsules." He looks around the forest to see that it had gone from jungle to the forest of the temperate zones. It would be relatively safer and more snake-free than the jungle area. He eyes Goku and thinks, {It's too awkward to hunt with him on my back. But can I really trust him alone?}  
  
His stomach growls even louder this time. Vegeta winces and thinks, {To hell with Goku. I'm more important.} He says outloud, "I'll be back soon. I'm only going for a hunt." Then he ducks behind a tree, leaving Goku alone, to the mercy of the forest wild.  
  
****  
  
About two hours later...  
  
Vegeta's stomach growls again for the umpteenth time in a row, causing the ouji to yell at it, "Will you just shut up already!"  
  
He looks around from his tree lookout and says to himself, "I didn't really respect our ancestors hunting skills until now. I didn't know tracking without ki is so damn hard!" Suddenly he eyes a doe out of the corner of his eye and he quiets down. He readies himself into a low stance, ready to pounce on it. He watches the doe hungrily and thinks, {Come on, just come a little bit further.}  
  
The deer perks its head up, ears flicking back and forth trying to sense any danger present. It treads a couple cautious steps towards Vegeta's tree, but then suddenly bolts off to the ouji's left and away into the bush, completely hidden in seconds. With another failure down, Vegeta groans and sits up right in the tree. "Dammit! I thought I was going to have it that time!"  
  
He suddenly huffs angrily, "Look at me! I'm hunting like I'm some animal! No weapons or anything! Granted I've never needed them before." He jumps down from his perch and checks his watch. He nearly yelps out loud when he realizes what time it is, "Kuso! I should've checked Prince Goku by now!" He hurries back to camp and looks for Goku at the tree he left him at. Then he realizes with horror that Goku is no longer there. He barely breathes out, "Oh no," before he checks the grounds for tracks of any kind.  
  
Leading up to the tree, Vegeta sees bear track coming to and from it. He inspects it closely, noting that they were fresh. He mutters to himself, "Good, hopefully they haven't gotten too far."  
  
He follows the tracks up to a short, stony hillside, where he finds the tracks leading up to a deep cave. Walking blindly into what seems like an endless pit, he uses his other senses to try and detect the bear. Suddenly he bumps into something very large and fuzzy and takes a step back. Finally, with his eyes adjusting to the dark, he sees a vicious Grizzly holding a large, sharp-clawed paw right over a little boy's body. More specifically Goku's body. Vegeta yells, "Oh no, you don't!"  
  
The bear turns around to the ouji, the last thing it sees before it dies is the knuckles of a white gloved fist coming straight in between its eyes.  
  
Vegeta cracks his fingers and grins, "Well that takes care of food." He checks over Goku's body, finding no injuries on him. Except the baby carrier was already demolished by the Grizzly. And he is still unconscious.  
  
Shaking his head, the ouji mutters, "I can't believe it. You still haven't woken up even after all that. Well, we better set up camp somewhere. I know a good place by some old oak tree." And chatting casually with Goku just like that, he tucks the little saiyajin under his arm and slings the bear over his shoulder, heading out of the cave.  
  
****  
  
A/N: I really don't know what to comment. My mind's blank. Somehow I managed to type this all up without my parents finding out. (I have three tests to study for next week! Why are they always at the same time?!) Hopefully this'll hold you guys up for a while. Ja! 


	82. Death Gorge and Recovery

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Yes! Finally! I actually have time to type something down! I'm so sorry! I just came back from an SAT thing and all my teachers are evil and please don't be all nasty when you review! .....Oh wait, I was working on my new web site too.... Sorry! But if you wanna check it out, go to . It's the first website out of school that I've designed. Well, enough of that, on with the story!  
  
****  
  
Jumping from branch to branch, Vegeta makes his way through the dense jungle, Goku still tucked under his arm. Damned if he ever let go of him again after that whole bear incident. Today is the last day of the two weeks that Dende had made out for himself and the last day that Vegeta headed out to the infamous quicksand pits. He supposed that if he stayed near where the map is, the little Nameck would've been able to find them. After all it's not like the map's going anywhere.  
  
No such luck.  
  
So like Dende had advised, Vegeta prepares himself to stay in this particular forest for a very long time. Probably months, maybe even years. In any case he doesn't have anywhere else to go. Blade knows all of their old hiding spots. Kami Island, Capsule Corps, Goku's little shack thingy, even the apartment that Yamcha stays in, in the city.  
  
He mutters to himself, "Actually staying alive here would be easier if I hadn't lost that bag of capsules." However, he already made himself, a sort of make shift tree house. Although the last two weeks had been something of an adventure. Vegeta discovered a primal part of himself that's actually comfortable up in the high canopy. Sticking to the trees. That's what his ancestors always did. That's also what his opposable thumbs are for, too.  
  
So that's what he does. Almost the whole two weeks he barely even touched the ground. He also doesn't know why the hell a tropical jungle and a Temperate Zone forest can thrive next to each other, even somewhat intermingled, but it's good for a whole different variety of foods. From bears to ocelots, mangoes to apples, the ouji has a diet fit for a king.  
  
He thinks to himself, {Now if only Prince Goku would wake up. I'll go insane just talking to him without any actual interaction, and all alone here too.}  
  
Not really paying attention to where he's going he suddenly finds that he's run out of branch and is staring down at a large ravine, its bottom not even visible. All there is..... is black shadow, crawling up the sides of the stony walls. He mutters to himself, "Odd. I've seen this place before." He grabs the branch he's onto, swings down from it and lands on the edge of the chasm. He suddenly recognizes the shape of it, thinking back to the map that he lost. {I've seen this before. I think it's called Death Gorge.} He leans in for a better look. If he didn't know any better he'd say this gorge leads all the way to the center of the Earth. Suddenly he gets a chill, his gut instincts telling him there's something very, very wrong about the place.  
  
But just as he's leaning over the edge, something pulls Goku from his strong grip, taking him down into the deep abyss. Vegeta yells, "Holy crap!" Without even thinking he jumps in after, speeding towards the little saiyajin. He manages to grab Goku back into his arms, just in time to see they're about to come into the shadow of the gorge. Something he does NOT want to do. He screams at himself, squeezing shut his eyes, "Dammit! Fly! Fly! I want to FLY!"  
  
And with a sudden jerk, he stops. Vegeta opens his eyes, very confused once he feels the air stop whipping around his face. He's hovering right above the dark abyss, almost touching shadow. He mutters, "What in the- How did I- " He frowns, testing this hovering out, trying to get himself to move like he would if he were flying with ki. No such luck. He doesn't even feel his ki holding him up, like invisible wires are just keeping him there. {How did I start flying in the first place? Did I just will it?}  
  
He decides to test it out and thinks, {Left.} Suddenly he starts speeding towards the canyon wall, ready to smash into it and he screams, "ACK! STOP!" And he does. Panting, Vegeta thinks, {Oh Kami, I hate this. I do NOT like this one bit.} But then he starts to drop and he screams once more, "NO! FLY! I WANT TO FLY! I LIKE FLYING!" Then he stops once again.  
  
The ouji's whole body shakes, eyes-wide and bulging, and he clutches onto Goku tightly, "This is insane." He looks up at the clear blue sky and thinks, {Up, slowly.} And his body starts drifting towards the top of the ravine, back up into the open. He wills himself back onto the side of the ravine. Without another thought, he jumps back up into the trees and speeds towards the tree house.  
  
****  
  
The next day...  
  
Vegeta growls as he jumps along branch to branch, "This is so stupid! What's the point of using ki if I can't even get a handle on it?!" He looks back at the burned grove where he was practicing summoning up balls of ki. Needless to say, he's going to have to find another training site. He hops onto the ground, deciding to get a rest and eat some of the deer that he caught before. He leans Goku against an old birch and jumps back up in the tree to grab some sticks for the fire. He pauses the chore and frowns, "What am I doing?" Once again he hops back down to ground and cracks his knuckles, "Well, this'll be good practice," looking down at the stag. Then he starts to summon his energy.  
  
About half an hour later, Vegeta is grudgingly munching on burned venison, both face and clothes singed from energy burns. He finally gets control of his ki, but unfortunately the deer was already too far burned for it to matter right then. He says out loud to Goku who is still leaned up against the tree, "Well, that takes care of the whole not sensing ki thing. The only other thing now is to try and wake you up."  
  
He gives Goku a scrutinizing gaze, "It's already a whole two weeks since you've eaten. Why can't your stomach wake you up?" Then he blinks, "Why can't it?" At once he takes the leg of meat in his hand and dangles it over Goku's head, hoping for some sort of response. "Oh come on!" he says in annoyance, "do something!"  
  
And yet, still nothing. Vegeta visibly slumps and leans back onto his seat. Normally, if he could sense ki, he can see how healthy Goku is. But the only thing reassuring him that the chibi saiyajin isn't dead, is the fact that he can see him breathing.  
  
He looks up in thought, gazing at the bits of sky peeking through the dense leaves, "So what else can I do?" He suddenly gets hit with an idea. Bolting up Vegeta yelps, "The Healing Technique! My god! Why didn't I think of it before?!" He pauses, and mutters, "Maybe because I don't know how to do it..."  
  
Vegeta pops up from the ground and says, "Well that doesn't matter. I saw Kakarot do it once, I'm sure I can just copy. But maybe I should get a test subject first," looking around the trees." He suddenly spots a chipmunk on the branch above him and grabs it in his hand.  
  
Without a second thought, he rips of its right leg. It gives off an annoying squeal of pain, but Vegeta keeps it in his hand. He cuts himself on the finger, pressing a drop of his blood on its forehead. It looks up at Vegeta with terrified eyes, but the ouji doesn't give a damn.  
  
He places his weight onto his right foot and moves his arms in a circular counter clockwise motion. He points at the sun and shifts his weight onto both feet. He thinks to himself, {Why does my life always seem to be filled with stupid poses?} That's when he's supposed to be getting to the chanting part, but his mind draws a complete blank. Vegeta sweatdrops, {What the hell am I supposed to do now?! Argh! I have to remember those verses!}  
  
He struggles to think, and start mumbling out anything he can think of in saiyago that would sound like something his ancestors would say.  
  
[Translation]  
  
Uh... Oh great god, Nasarith, wait or was it Lema, who's the god of strength and healing? Damn, I should have read up on my gods. Okay, start over.  
  
Oh great god Nasarith, I beseech you- thee to heal this um... lowly Earth animal? For whom I have- hath shed my blood.  
  
Just to let you- thee uh... knoweth, I don't really care about the chipmunk, but I'm just using him as a test subject. So if this really works can you give me some sort of sign?  
  
[End Translation]  
  
At once the squirrel's head begins swelling and bulging, its eyes growing nearly three times its normal size. Vegeta drops it on the ground, just before its head explodes with a loud BANG! brain splattering all over Vegeta's leg. Calmly, the ouji wipes it off and smirks, "Well, I'll take that as a sign!"  
  
Taking up Goku into his lap, he cuts the palm of his hand and smears the blood onto the young saiyajin's forehead. Then he carefully lays him down against the tree, and then carefully performing the pose, he chants in saiyago, this time being much more respectful to Nasarith and pointing out he wants Goku to heal, not have his head blown up. Finishing his prayer he anxiously sits next to Goku's side, waiting for him to wake up.  
  
The blood on the chibi's forehead glows gold and trickles down to Goku's abdomen, then it disappears. Then is the moment of truth. Vegeta shakes Goku and says, "Hey, Prince Goku. Come on, you can get up now."  
  
And yet, absolutely nothing happens. Goku remains in the same state as ever.  
  
Realizing this, Vegeta's anxiety quickly turns to anger. "WHY YOU LITTLE-! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO DAMN DIFFICULT!" He thinks off all the effort he took to taking care of him, finally realizing the possibility that the saiyajin might never wake up. He balls his hand into a hit and yells, "IF YOU WON'T WAKE UP ON YOUR OWN, I'LL DO IT MYSELF!" He pins Goku down on the ground and swings a fist right at his face.  
  
Suddenly, Goku's eyes twitch open just as Vegeta hits him right in the nose. Goku gives a small cry and his eyes roll up and he passes right back out again.  
  
The ouji stares at him in horror, his jaw hanging open in shock. He finally mutters to himself, disbelieving what he just witnessed, "He- He was...awake. And I..I..." He picks Goku up by the sides and starts shaking him wildly, growing hysterical, "YOU STUPID IDIOTIC BAKA!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE UP BEFORE I DECIDED TO FRICKIN' HIT YOU?! WHY?!"  
  
All of a sudden, Goku groans, stirring in Vegeta's hands, clutching them with his tiny fingers. The ouji stops shaking him and wide-eyed, he ventures cautiously, "Prince Goku? Prince Goku, are you awake?"  
  
The little saiyajin opens an eye and mumbles, "Wha?"  
  
That's good enough for the ouji. His mood changes rapidly and he grows ecstatic. Grinning madly, he tosses Goku up into the air and catches him, yelling, "YES! YES! YES!!! YOU'RE NOT IN A COMA! YOU'RE AWAKE! YOU'RE AWAKE!!" He even goes so far as to squeeze Goku in a hug. But then he suddenly realizes what he doing and he nearly drops Goku onto the ground.  
  
Goku squirms in his hands, making a slight whining sound before he manages to open his groggy eyes. Through half lidded eyes, he tries blinking through his blurry vision but to no avail. He mumbles once more, "Wha- Where?" Then his stomach gurgles.  
  
A reassuring voice says, "I guess you still need to recover. Kami, you didn't even eat in two weeks! You must be starving now. I'll take you back to the treehouse and get you some real food there, not any of this burned crap."  
  
Trying to fight off the dizzy, disoriented feeling, Goku closes his eyes once more and says apologetically, "I'm tired."  
  
Vegeta gives a small smirk to the little sleeping boy in his hands, "You're almost like a baby, aren't you? Only without any of that annoying crying. Might as well nurse you back to full health. I've taken care of you this long anyway. Nearly a month I think." He carries Goku close to his chest with one arm and jumps back up into a tree, heading back towards the treehouse, thinking to himself, {Funny, it seems a hell of a lot longer than that.}  
  
****  
  
A/N: Now you're all thinking, 'Yay! Goku's awake!' Heh, poor fools. Just wait until you see what I have in store for Goku next time..... *breaks into almighty evil laughter* 


	83. Oh no, amnesia!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Hey guys! Long time no write! Well, I've been in several huge projects lately, making a web-site, trying to get over my writer's block for Onnafied, doing homework, and oh yeah! rewriting the first 34 chapters of Incidences of Madness!  
  
I started this story when I was just in 9th grade so it needed a serious update. I'm still in the process of working out all the kinks and all that, changing around a little bit of the dialogue and the plot and elaborating more, but it'll turn out exactly the same so there's no change to the major plotline! But if you guys have a favorite part that you would just die if it got even touched, please tell me so I can avoid the area altogether.  
  
And please come visit my website! It's at http:// www. geocities. com/ yamino_86 /Corner /corner. html. It's just where I put all my fanart and stuff, but I have a manga version of Split Ends on it! and some original art. If you're interested, please take a look and sign my guestbook!  
  
Anyway, enough of that! On with the next chapter!  
  
****  
  
"Okay, now open up."  
  
Goku obediently opens his mouth, still lying down in bed of the almost completed tree house. Somehow Vegeta had managed to build the small one room, wooden cabin without the use of any tools; no saws, hammers, nails, nothing. Looking up at the ceiling, the ouji notes a couple leaks coming from roof. He says out loud, "I'm going to have to fix those tomorrow." He pulls out a capsule and shows it to Goku, "Look, I found another one around the pits. This one has cooking supplies, like pots and pans. It should come in handy."  
  
Outside, a storm whips around them, thunder roaring over their little shelter as if trying to scare them away, accompanied by lightning flashing in anger. Goku watches the rain and wind by the doorway, vainly trying to thrash the walls, but it comes to no avail. The cabin is as tight as Fort Knox. "Hey, are you going to talk or what?" Vegeta's annoyed voice brings him back to attention.  
  
Goku merely shrugs and takes another spoonful of soup. The ouji mutters with a frown, "I can't believe I'm being the more talkative one out of us two."  
  
A memory of Dr. Tang's voice comes to Vegeta's mind. //When he wakes up he'll be a perfectly healthy kid! Assuming he isn't traumatized too badly.// However, he doesn't have a clue how Goku's state of mind is. But he isn't just going to blurt out that everyone of the Z-senshi is dead until he finds out.  
  
"Can I have more please?" Realizing he was lost in thought, Vegeta just nods, giving Goku the bowl and spoon. Sitting up, the little saiyajin takes the bowl into his lap and starts eating by himself.  
  
The ouji frowns, suddenly irritated by Goku's behavior, "Aren't you going to even crack a smile or something? Or say thank you? I've been taking care of you all this time, you know. Nearly six weeks now. Two at the hospital, two when you were in a coma, two when you're awake. I'll have you know that that's the longest I've ever taken care of anybody by myself."  
  
Goku looks up and gives his guardian an apologetic smile, "Sorry. I guess my thoughts are pretty occupied. Thanks a lot for taking care of me all this time." Then he sighs, leaning back into a pillow. One that Vegeta also managed to salvage from a capsule along with a whole bunch of other bedding. He looks back out the door and asks, "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Depends if it's a stupid one."  
  
At that the little saiyajin blushes and pulls the blanket over his head, "Nevermind then."  
  
The ouji scowls, "I was just kidding." Over the two weeks, he discovered Goku had become meek and quiet. And he didn't like it one bit.  
  
Goku peeks over the blanket and asks, "So, did you find me?"  
  
Vegeta blinks, "What?"  
  
"Before you brought me over to the hospital, did you find me?"  
  
"...No, I followed Blade over to where you were fighting Kakarot."  
  
Goku gives him a confused look, "What?"  
  
"Don't you remember Blade coming into your fight and beating you up into a bloody pulp?"  
  
The little saiyajin's eyes widen, "No, I don't remember anything."  
  
Vegeta yells in exasperation, "Well then what are you being so moody for?! You don't remember it, you shouldn't be traumatized! Why are you so quiet?!"  
  
"Um... I really don't remember anything?"  
  
Shaking his head, the ouji mutters, "Now you are making no sense. What do you remember then?"  
  
At this the young saiyajin strains to think, "Well, I remember waking up and seeing your blurry face. And like you said that was two weeks ago."  
  
"I meant before you were in a coma," Vegeta says flatly.  
  
Goku gives him a sheepish grin and shrugs, "Sorry."  
  
The cabin turns silent. Vegeta says slowly, almost disbelievingly, "Excuse me?"  
  
"Well, like I said. I can't remember anything before I woke up two weeks ago."  
  
The ouji's jaw drops and he yells, "YOU HAVE AMNESIA?!?!"  
  
The chibi gives him a nervous smile, "Well it seems that way, doesn't it?" Then he hears a loud thump and sees that the ouji is on the floor in a dead faint. "WAH!!" Goku jumps on top of him and starts shaking him, "Mister! Wake up!"  
  
Vegeta opens an eye and twitches, seeing the young saiyajin on top of his chest. Without a word he puts a hand to Goku's forehead, intent on exploring his mind. A minute later he pulls his hand away and says flatly, "You have real amnesia. I'm not sure whether I should feel relieved or not."  
  
Goku blinks, "Eh? Then what's fake amnesia?"  
  
Suddenly, Vegeta jumps up from his seat and starts pacing the small cabin, "I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY HAVE AMNESIA TWICE?!" He turns on Goku and demands, "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEFORE?!" Goku turns away from his powerful gaze, looking very abashed.  
  
The ouji shakes his head and sits down in a chair massaging his temples muttering to himself, "Of all the stupid things to-"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Vegeta turns back to Goku and snaps angrily, "What?"  
  
The little saiyajin blushes, "Um, what's your name?"  
  
The ouji sighs, "Vegeta, crown prince of the saiyajin race."  
  
Goku frowns at him, "Wait a sec. You're a crown prince?!" He looks around the cabin, "What's an ouji doing in a place like this?"  
  
"We're hiding from the man that wants to kill you. This is the only place we can hide, in this forest."  
  
"Wait a sec, does that mean you know who I am?!" Goku says in excitement.  
  
Vegeta's eyes widen, "Don't ask me what your name is."  
  
The chibi gives him an indignant frown, "Why not? You haven't said my name the whole time in two weeks."  
  
"Well that's because-! I can't say your name right! I know the right name, but I just can't say it!"  
  
"...What in the world do you call me?"  
  
The ouji gives a defeated sigh, "Prince Goku."  
  
Goku stares at him, "You just put a prince in that name didn't you?"  
  
His caretaker says quickly, "Not by choice!"  
  
Slowly, Goku points to himself, "Wait a sec. I'm an ouji too?"  
  
Vegeta yells, "Of course not! I just can't call you anything else! I was hypnotized into calling you Prince Goku!"  
  
"Well how do you know you were hypnotized into calling me Prince Goku? What if I really am an ouji and you were hypnotized into thinking I wasn't one?"  
  
The ouji opens his mouth and closes it, at a complete loss at that one.  
  
Goku looks up at Vegeta and asks, "So are you my father?"  
  
"WHAT?!" Vegeta nearly falls out of his chair. He jumps up and demands, "Where the hell did you get that idea?!"  
  
"...Well if we are both royalty..."  
  
"YOU ARE NOT AN OUJI!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Vegeta groans and massages the bridge of his nose between his eyes. He looks back at Goku and asks, "Are you absolutely convinced you're an ouji?" The young saiyajin nods. His caretaker shakes his head, suddenly amused, "You are one confused little saiyajin." He leans down close to Goku's face and gives him a menacing grin, "Fine then. I'm going to chock your head so full of royal crap that you are going to wish you never even heard of the word!"  
  
Goku merely blinks at this, not sure what to say. But once the ouji turns, the young saiyajin says, "You never answered my question. Are you my father?"  
  
At this, Vegeta pauses, looking back at Goku with a raised eyebrow, thinking about what to say to that. He goes through several points in his head.  
  
[List of points]  
  
He's not repulsed by the idea It'll be easier to control Goku He's learned from his mistakes with Trunks Goku won't know about his real family Goku's real family's dead anyway His own family's dead This is going to distort Goku's aspect of reality Nobody's left alive to care He won't have to bother with line of succession since there is no more Bejita-sei or any heirs for that matter He's already emotionally attached to Goku as it is, even though it's hard to admit And lastly... He can mold the little saiyajin into his own image!  
  
Vegeta grins a very wicked, evil scheming grin, one that belongs to a thief who's about to steal millions from the Swiss National Bank and get away with it. He hides the grin with a cough and makes regular smirk, shrugging, "Sure, why not?"  
  
Goku frowns at that sort of answer, but takes it as a yes anyway.  
  
****  
  
"Oi, Prince Goku. Prince Goku?" Vegeta pokes Goku in the head as they sit around a slowly dying fire, its embers more black and gray than red. A slight snore answers him. Ticked off, Vegeta yells in the little saiyajin's ear, "WAKE UP, DAMMIT!"  
  
Goku bursts out of sleep with a small shriek, looking around wildly, then he sees Vegeta glaring at him. He gives the furious ouji a sheepish smile, "Uh, sorry."  
  
Vegeta smirks, "Ready to admit defeat yet?" He had as he had threatened, started his campaign to chock Goku's head full of all the rites and rituals and any other obscurities of saiyajin royalty that he could think of, hoping that Goku would give up the idea of thinking that he's an ouji, too.  
  
The little saiyajin pouts childishly and says, "Of course not! This is my birthright and my duty! ...I just didn't get any sleep last night is'all."  
  
Chuckling, Vegeta shakes his head, "You're starting to sound more like me everyday."  
  
Goku gives a small sigh and asks, "Father? Shouldn't we be working on my memory though?"  
  
The ouji just makes a 'tch' noise; "Nothing in those years is worth remembering."  
  
"I still need to know."  
  
Vegeta sighs, "Prince Goku, memories are either a luxury or a curse. You don't need them to live. Hell, you don't even need them to be who you are today. Your past doesn't define the present. You are the one that makes you who you are today." Wide-eyed, Goku just nods in silent awe. After that interesting bit of philosophy, the ouji clears his throat and says, "I think we were in the middle of diplomacy. Now when you're dealing with-"  
  
"Father?"  
  
Vegeta's eye twitches, "What NOW?"  
  
"You're a saiyajin, right?"  
  
"Of course I am."  
  
Goku points to himself, "So am I half monkey?"  
  
"...WHAT?!"  
  
The young saiyajin waves his tail out in front of him and says, "Well, I have this monkey tail and you don't."  
  
Annoyed, the ouji growls, "First off that is a saiyajin tail, all saiyajin have them, secondly you're a full saiyajin, and lastly DO I LOOK LIKE THE TYPE THAT WOULD- DO YOU KNOW WHAT- WITH A MONKEY?!"  
  
Goku attempts to steers away from this particular direction. "So, um, diplomacy?"  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE CHANGE THE SUBJECT!!"  
  
****  
  
A/N: Uh... please don't kill me? This is actually part of the main plot though! It's not some sort of subplot that has nothing to do with the story I swear! So never fear! I am not going off on a tangent! 


	84. The chapter of cheese

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: How did I ever let myself get swamped by so many writing projects? Oh well! I have vacation coming up soon! Hopefully I can get a lot of creative work done then! Anyway, enjoy! Kind of a mush chapter though. *sweatdrop*  
  
****  
  
Just peeking over horizon, the golden sun seeps into the cabin's window, casting a shining glow on Goku's sleeping face. He moans and covers his face with his blanket. Then a shadow covers the entire pillow and a hand roughly shakes him from his sleep, "Hey, wake up. You need to start training today."  
  
Goku blinks through blurry eyes and sees Vegeta standing over him. He watches him for a minute, before he turns over and falls back asleep.  
  
Vegeta's eye twitches.  
  
The next thing Goku knows, his whole body is flung into ice cold water, and he wakes up completely submerged. He thrashes around, nearly drowning, until he lets himself float up in the right direction, and kicks upwards breaking the surface of the water. Seeing Vegeta at the edge of the river, smirking at him, Goku yells angrily, "What the heck was that for?!"  
  
"It's good for training."  
  
The young saiyajin paddles over to the side of the river and looks up at his parent/guardian, "But father! I just recovered a month ago!"  
  
The ouji huffs, "Then you should've started training a month ago! I won't have anyone slacking off under my care like some sickling!" He heads back towards the cabin, leaving Goku behind him. "I don't expect you to come back until after breakfast, so don't you dare show up while I'm eating!"  
  
Goku demands, "Well what am I supposed to do until then?!"  
  
"Exercise! Swim! Run around a bit, I don't know! But I won't be happy unless you show up dog tired." With that he leaves Goku on his own, to fend for himself for a few hours.  
  
Groaning, Goku hoists himself out of the water, sopping wet. He starts wringing his clothes dry, looking around at the intimidating forest and back at the path that leads to the cabin on his right. With a sigh, he heads in the opposite direction to his left.  
  
Only to become lost about half an hour later.  
  
Goku stares around the dense forest with worry. He wishes that his father could have at least shown him around a little bit before letting himself get lost in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly he trips on something and lands smack down on his face. Jumping up he immediately looks for the offending object. He finds a bamboo rod, recently cut down just lying there in the middle of his path. Frowning, he picks it up and holds it in both hands.  
  
Suddenly, he has flashes of something red, almost like the bamboo rod he's holding now. He shakes the visions away, and his hands start itching to do something. Curious he lets his mind go, his body takes the position of a spearman in high stance. He imagines an invisible target, a bear that he saw wander under the tree house one day, and his body starts going through intensive and complicated techniques of a master of the staff. After three fishermen stabs and a low blow to trip the imaginary bear, he finishes by jumping high up in the air and smacking the staff right down the middle of the bears head.  
  
Dust collects up around him after that attack and Goku through the small particles. Only when the dust settles does he realize the damage that he's done. Nearly the whole area is decimated, tree trunks slashed down, merely by the momentum of the bamboo. Rods of cut bamboo strewn across the path. Even boulders are smashed into bits of rubble.  
  
Goku drops the flimsy bamboo stick and stares at the scene in horror. He had absolutely no idea. Shivering in fear, he looks at his shaking hands. Hands that hold even the power to kill. Instantly he bolts into the forest, not caring where he's going or how far. All he knows is he has to get away from there. And stay away.  
  
****  
  
Vegeta squints up at the high noon sun, and then checks his watch. It's just five minutes past one o'clock. He paces the camp zone under the tree house, always glancing up at the path into the forest, half-expecting Goku to come running. He mutters to himself, "What am I so worried about? He knows how to hunt. He can take care of himself well enough."  
  
But he continues to pace anyway.  
  
****  
  
Half past four.  
  
Vegeta yells up at the sky, "Where the hell is he?!"  
  
****  
  
A quarter before seven. The sun is starting to set.  
  
Finally fed up with just pacing, Vegeta heads out into the dense forest in search of the young saiyajin. Possibilities of the worst swarm his mind and he hastily speeds through the tree tops, anxiety getting the better of him. Every so often, he yells out into the black jungle, "PRINCE GOKU!!!" "PRINCE GOKU!!!" "COME OUT RIGHT NOW!!!" "YOU BETTER NOT BE HIDING! OR I'LL KILL YOU!!" "PRINCE GOKU!!!"  
  
He starts cursing the day he ever decided to go with Dende's plan to come here in the first place. {How could I have been so stupid as to agree to come into a ki-less jungle?! Maybe it's harder for Blade to find us, but at least I can tell where Prince Goku is at all times! Now he could be anywhere! What if he knocked himself out! What if he got sucked into quicksand! Oh god, he can't even die if that happens!} He screams out once more, "PRINCE GOKU!!!" adrenaline and fear heightening all his senses and making him move faster.  
  
He comes over to the small stone cave that he killed his first bear in and pauses outside of it, listening to it's echoing chasm carefully. Someone is in there. Crying. Without another hesitation, he jumps down from the trees and runs into the cave yelling, "Prince Goku!"  
  
At once the crying stops and the cave grows deathly quiet. Vegeta summons a small ball of ki to light his way and the orb casts a bluish glow on everything in the cave. Suddenly the light shines on the furthest part of the cave and the ouji can see a small child huddled up against the back of the stony cavern. He lets out a huge sigh of relief and feels all his anxiety drain away from him, {Thank Kami.} He puts out the ball of ki and walks up to Goku, ducking his head down because of the sheer lowness of the ceiling. He says calmly, "Prince Goku?"  
  
A startled sob answers him and a tired voice cries, "No, no. Stay away from me."  
  
Vegeta frowns, "What? Are you hurt?"  
  
Goku looks up at the ouji through tear streaked eyes. "Please. Don't come near me! You'll get hurt!"  
  
His guardian merely huffs, "Now you're just being ridiculous!" He comes up next to Goku, who just cringes away from him. He demands, "Prince Goku, what's the matter!"  
  
The young saiyajin yells, "WHAT'S THE MATTER?! THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME! I DID THINGS THAT CAN'T BE HUMANLY POSSIBLE!!"  
  
Vegeta's eyes widen, "Okay, Prince Goku, just calm down."  
  
"CALM DOWN?! HOW CAN I CALM DOWN?!"  
  
"Will you listen to me, you brat!" the ouji yells, grabbing Goku's hand.  
  
However, Goku thrashes Vegeta's hand away, "DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Then he continues to scream, going into hysterics, "I WRECKED BOULDERS WITH A ROTTEN STICK! I'M SCREWED UP!! A FREAK OF NATURE!!"  
  
On sudden impulse, Vegeta slaps Goku across the face and before the young saiyajin can even react, he pulls Goku into his chest, holding him tightly. The little boy shivers in his strong arms, the shock suddenly gone and he breaks down into tears, pressing his face into Vegeta's chest, seeking comfort there.  
  
Vegeta looks down at him awkwardly, not exactly in this position often. He says in a strained comforting tone, "Look, Prince Goku, there's nothing WRONG with you. You're just stronger than the rest of the miserable ningen on this planet. It's perfectly normal for us saiyajin. And you're NOT going to kill me." He ruffles Goku's hair with a gloved hand and says firmly, "But I swear to god, if you ever do anything this stupid again, you're the one who's going to get hurt!"  
  
Goku calms down taking small hiccuping breaths and he looks up at the ouji with a weak smile, "So, you were worried about me?"  
  
Looking somewhat abashed, Vegeta answers, "Uh... Well, I suppose so..."  
  
The young saiyajin grins, "You're a great father you know. I don't think that you know it, but you are. Even if you are a bit rough around the edges," burrowing his face deeper against the ouji's chest.  
  
Vegeta just blinks at that one. He's not so used to getting compliments like that. He coughs into his fist to hide it, and says, "Ah, well, um... How about we get out of this cave now?" He sits up keeping Goku wrapped against chest. Once they're out in the open, the sky overhung with billions of stars and a crescent moon, Vegeta suddenly smirks and says, "How about a midnight spar?"  
  
Goku frowns, "Spar?"  
  
****  
  
Nearly a month after the whole incident, Goku becomes more trained to his own strength, and learns how to control ki and fly. Although, Vegeta had pointed out to him, he must never fly unless he accidentally gets stuck in the quicksand pits, which he isn't allowed around, or falls down Death Gorge, which he also isn't allowed around. All in all, Goku just doesn't get why his father taught him how to do that stuff in the first place.  
  
He also gave the young saiyajin a whole set of rules of what he can't do, some of them including going around at night without an adult, Vegeta being the only adult there is, and not venturing outside of the forest for any reason whatsoever, explaining to Goku several times over that his life is in constant peril, because he's being hunted down by a shapeshifter named Blade. It's not exactly the kind of speech that a kid hears everyday, causing Goku to be excessively paranoid for the next two weeks until Vegeta explained that they were relatively safe in the forest because Blade can't sense their ki.  
  
At which point, Goku asked what ki is.  
  
****  
  
A couple months pass and Vegeta starts building an extension to the small tree house cabin so that they don't have to have a bedroom, kitchen and storage room in the same room. However, during a very wet two months, both saiyajin spend most of their days stuck inside the cabin, needing to halt all their activities outside.  
  
On a particularly wet day, the young saiyajin is nearly bored to death as he paces around the cabin.  
  
Goku flops onto the bed, completely soaked to the bone from coming in out of the rain. He says outloud, staring at the wooden ceiling, "I really hate the rainy season, we always get stuck inside this dinky room for weeks on end."  
  
The ouji says halfheartedly, "Prince Goku, don't stay on the bed like that." He doesn't even look at Goku, too occupied with just looking outside at the rain.  
  
The young saiyajin blinks, looking up from his position. Normally, his father would try thrashing him or tossing him outside into the rain. He sits up and asks, "Father? Are you okay?"  
  
Vegeta just sighs, looking very melancholy. "She always liked rainy days," he finally mutters.  
  
At that point, Goku becomes silent. He's talking about whoever that woman is again. The little saiyajin can only assume that whoever she is, she's dead or she left him. Either way it always gets the ouji into a sort of mild mood, one that never ceases to fail creeping Goku out.  
  
Then the little boy starts wondering if he's talking about his mother.  
  
Uneasy, Goku gets up and points out the door with his thumb, "I'm gonna go outside and make a clay slate, maybe I can do some work inside." By work he means his education, which the ouji felt obligated to encourage along with tutoring sessions.  
  
He steps towards the door, but suddenly Vegeta holds out an arm and calls out, "Wait, come back here."  
  
Cautiously, the young saiyajin turns around and sits next to the ouji on his bed, the mattress lowering slightly with the increased weight. Vegeta puts an arm around Goku, leaning him close into his chest. Comfortably, they sit together like that watching the rain from the open door. However, Goku is still nervous. This is the first time that the ouji ever asked for comfort of any kind and he's not used to it.  
  
Suddenly, Vegeta says, "I want to tell you a little bit about her." Goku blinks, staring up at the ouji. Another first.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, the ouji says, "Her name was Bulma."  
  
The little saiyajin frowns, thinking that there's something familiar about that name.  
  
However, Vegeta continues with his narration, not noticing Goku's expression. "She was very beautiful, you know. And strong too. Well not like strong like we are, but she could get anything she wanted to if she was determined enough." He gives a small laugh, "Kami knows, she got me. But she was a ningen too. That's one thing I don't want you to pick up from me. Ningen may be much weaker than we are, and most of them more stupid too. But they deserve to live just as much as we do, no matter how many times a day that I curse them.  
  
"Anyway, we she was a wonderful woman. I didn't really deserve her. I was the most awful mate anyone could ask for. But she stuck by me anyway. And just now I'm starting to realize I will never see her again." Once again they fall into a gloomy silence.  
  
But then Vegeta smiles, "She bore me a son, too. Well two actually... sort of... In any case I cared for them both dearly."  
  
Goku's heart wrenches when the ouji said that, knowing that it isn't him he's talking about. He asks in a shaky voice, "Where are they now?"  
  
"Most likely enjoying the comforts of Heaven. And they're also probably watching me right now and laughing," he mutters the end grudgingly.  
  
The young saiyajin bites his lip and pleads, "Can you tell me about my mom? Please?"  
  
This takes the ouji by surprise and his eyes widen, "YOUR mom? Ah, I didn't really know her that well. You becoming my son was sort of an accident. A very long accident." That's when Vegeta notices the distressed look on the little boy's face {Jeez! Stupid!} and he amends quickly, "But that doesn't mean I don't care about you any less than my other sons, all right? And Bulma cared about you, too. And so did a hell of a lot of other people who're up there now," he casts an annoyed glance at the sky.  
  
Goku looks up at the overclouded sky as well, only in wonder. Traces of visions flock to his mind, all of them of smiling people. Then his expression turns blank and he barely breathes out, "How did they die?"  
  
Vegeta frowns, "It's a long story. I don't want-"  
  
Then Goku blurts out, "I had something to do with it, didn't I?"  
  
The ouji freezes and stares at the young saiyajin with astonishment and even a little apprehension, "What? Why do you say that?"  
  
"I remember someone screaming at me. Someone in pain, screaming that everything was my fault. That everyone was dead because of me."  
  
Vegeta's face flushes with embarrassment, as he remembers the day that the hospital blew. He was screaming loud enough to wake the dead and he even went so far as to hurt Goku in his unconscious state.  
  
Now here he has the same CHILD as before, looking up at him with tear filled eyes, demanding to know the truth.  
  
His guardian takes a deep breath and sighs, before saying, "Prince Goku, you have absolutely nothing at fault with their deaths. It all started with a long and complicated mess and that eventually led up to their demise. And- that person... That person was just very hurt that day."  
  
Goku blinks, "It wasn't you was it?"  
  
"What? No! Not me!" Vegeta thinks morosely, {At least not anymore,} knowing how much he changed in merely four months. "Anyway, you can't take anything he said to heart. All right?"  
  
The little boy wipes his eyes with the back of his fist and smiles, "Thanks Daddy. I love you."  
  
Vegeta stares at him, not believing that just came out of his formal rivals mouth, but he knows he has to respond quickly or else the young saiyajin may never forgive him. So he does what he thinks is natural and what he would do with Trunks.  
  
He gives Goku a smile and ruffles his unruly mop of hair. Then he grabs him by the scruff of the neck and tosses him out of the tree house out into the rain, yelling down at him, "You better go make ten clay slates! I have a lot to teach you today!"  
  
Then he bursts into laughter at the genuinely shocked expression on the mud soaked Goku's face.  
  
****  
  
A/N: Eck. I've had too much drama for one night. G'night everybody! 


	85. Vegeta's bizzare mind, Coming of Age, an...

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: This took WAY too long to update. So long I think my writing style may have changed a bit. Well, I guess that's what happens when you write an epic over years. But I am experimenting a bit with my writing style, so please tell me what you think of it.  
  
****  
  
Narrow ebony eyes discern the young boy sleeping under the warm woolen blanket. Goku's progress as his heir is coming along nicely as the third class is becoming more and more like the ouji everyday. A small victorious smirk comes to Vegeta's lips. The boy's going to be his double in no time.  
  
{Three years,} the ouji thinks as he brushes the bangs away from Goku's face. {We've already been here for three whole years.} It seemed like a lifetime. It felt like it, too.  
  
The hard face gets misted with drizzle as a strong gust blows right in through the open window. Vegeta scowls, "Damn! It's raining again!"  
  
He gives the gray and stormy sky a glare as if he expects the sky to open up right before him. It doesn't. Vegeta mutters, "Curses," under his breath and closes the shutters.  
  
Well...at least the rain doesn't hurt as much as before. His pride didn't allow him to stay depressed; neither does taking care of Goku...  
  
With a heavy sigh, he plops himself into a chair by Goku's head. {The kid's so puny!} he thinks to himself, clearly disapproving of the lack of bulkiness. Not really caring whether it will wake Goku up or not, he picks up the young saiyajin's arm and glares at it. {Damn! He's bone skinny! Where's his muscle?!}  
  
It isn't as bad as all that, but by saiyajin standards it's devastating.  
  
{Maybe it's still compacting,} Vegeta reasons. {He's still just as strong as before. And he definitely eats just as much. So why's he so scrawny?! It's annoying!}  
  
Goku then tries to shift in his sleep, but the ouji's still holding his arm; so he wakes with a painful jab to his shoulder. Blinking away his sleep, he glares at his adoptive father. "What did you wake me up for?"  
  
"I don't need a reason," the older saiyajin counters. "Now change."  
  
Goku grumbles and gets out of bed, donning the clothes hanging on the end of his bed frame. Vegeta watches him unabashedly and comments, "You're getting taller, but you're as thin as a stick."  
  
"I am not!" the younger saiyajin pouts, putting on his shirt.  
  
The ouji mutters, "I've never seen a saiyajin your age so puny before, besides myself. Are you eating right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What about training have you been slacking off?"  
  
"No!" Goku cries out in irritation. "Can't you get off my back?! You've been asking me the same question every morning every day for the past month! It's like I'm not supposed to be growing up this way! How would you know?! Stop pretending to be some sort of psychic!"  
  
But he instantly regrets it after he sees the dangerous look rising in Vegeta's eyes. Only a second later, he's thrown out of the tree house and into the rain. Goku ungracefully falls face first into an indian red mud puddle, getting himself soaked immediately.  
  
Vegeta's angry voice echoes down from the cabin, "You are GROUNDED!! Don't come back here until you've put some muscle on you, you ungrateful BRAT!!" With that, the ouji slams the door on the cabin, making it shake on its foundations.  
  
Goku stares blankly at the door almost in shock of what happened, until he sneezes violently, as he's soaked to the bone with ice cold water. He sniffles and gets himself up out of the mud. He starts muttering to himself, bitterly, "I can't believe that he actually 'grounded' me! I wonder if this is how all the other saiyajin no ouji get treated."  
  
Suddenly his stomach grumbles its hunger in protest of the lack of food. Goku looks up at the stormy sky and yells, "Stop raining! I can't make a fire if you keep doing that!"  
  
As if on cue, it starts pouring ten times worse. And to add to his torture, he can smell food cooking from the cabin.  
  
~Don't come back until you've put some muscle on you, you ungrateful brat!~  
  
With his eyes tearing up, Goku fights his hunger and drops to the muddy floor to start push-ups.  
  
****  
  
Vegeta sits by the window of the cabin, not paying any heed to the steaming bowl of wild rice porridge absently being stirred in his hands. His thoughts are elsewhere as he watches the young boy training in the rain.  
  
Inside he mind, subconscious thought fight against each other in a deep internal struggle that he only receives silent echoes of.  
  
~~~  
  
"You have to do it sometime," said Sense.  
  
"It's not right," shouted Pride. "He's too puny!"  
  
"Hardly worth being called a man," Dignity agreed.  
  
"Oh, you all know that a saiyajin's coming of age is at 12," Sense argued. "It would be far worse if you did nothing."  
  
Judgement had not said anything as he carefully considered their points. Action was beside him, immobile; Judgement's servant unless Passion managed to steal him away to make Vegeta act without thinking.  
  
But Passion watched the debate with indifference, giving a bored yawn before deciding to leave.  
  
Suddenly a small voice spoke up. "It probably won't matter at all. Once Dende finds us, they'll wish the boy back into a grown man again," False- Hope said hesitantly. No one paid him much mind at all.  
  
Judgement gave False-Hope a queer look and asked, "So you think we should just let the boy go? After all that's happened?" He looked up at the rest of the thoughts, "For the record, who says we should disown him?"  
  
All unanimously yelled 'NAY' with Love shouting the loudest. Pride gave him a heated look though he grudgingly said nay as well.  
  
False-Hope, small and frail, knew he was defeated and slinked back into the depths of Vegeta's mind without so much as another word.  
  
Sense decided to put in again. "We have one week tops before it is too late to do the ceremony. We can't just wait for him to puff up like a balloon."  
  
"It's buff up, not puff up, you pansy!" Pride growled in annoyance.  
  
"I agree!" Dignity agreed.  
  
Sense looked at him in extreme disdain, "Why do you always agree with Pride?! Do you know how annoying that is?!"  
  
Judgement snapped, "Enough! This debate is turning into a squabble! Now Sense makes sense, so we go with his plan. Pride and Dignity, you can like it or lump it, but it will be done. Action, go."  
  
Action gave a quick nod, before trotting off.  
  
Pride and Dignity grumbled, while Suspicion whispered in Paranoia's ear, "Betch'a Sense bribed Judge."  
  
~~~  
  
Vegeta, without the slightest clue as to the bizarre way his mind works, decides that he would start preparations for the ceremony.  
  
****  
  
Absolutely exhausted, a very cold and very wet Goku flops down into the mud, feeling like he's ready to die. His stomach has been eating at his insides for the past seventy-two hours and he's been training since Vegeta threw him out of the tree house. Not to mention the frickin' monsoon hasn't let up at all!  
  
He takes a look at his arm to see if there's been any improvement.  
  
Nuthin'  
  
With a frustrated groan, Goku decides that maybe he should just let himself soak in the mud for a while. Yeah, that sounds nice...  
  
Then a dark figure leans over him, blocking the rain from splattering in big wet gobs on his face. A gruff voice orders, "come inside," before the figure retreats back out of sight. Looking confused, Goku sits up and sees his father climb up to the cabin door, leaving it wide open. Guess he's not grounded anymore.  
  
Quickly following suit, Goku clambers up to the luminescent doorway. He takes one look into the warm cabin before reeling back in shock.  
  
All the furniture is gone, the walls stripped bare, leaving the room completely empty except for his father, ten large pots of food on the ground, and a large foreign ring of symbols scorched into the very wood of the floor.  
  
He recognizes it immediately from the description from his lessons and his eyes brighten with excitement until Vegeta gives him a reprimanding look for not looking cross. The Ring of the Ancients; used only for the coming of age ceremony.  
  
His jaw stays slack as he steps into the former living room, staring at the burnt markings. Chuckling, Vegeta calls out, "Stop gaping like a guppy fish and get dried off and changed."  
  
Nodding quickly, Goku runs into the bedroom to get himself ready.  
  
The ouji can feel Goku's excitement as if the boy had been waiting for this for a very long time. Vegeta's smile goes dark as he begins to brood. {Yes, he's been waiting for this for two lifetimes already. No wonder he was so screwy when I first came to Earth. He never had his ceremony.}  
  
The younger saiyajin runs right back out of the room, clean and fresh in a whopping record of 0.2 seconds. Vegeta manages to catch him before he goes to the center of the Ring. "Hey! Not yet! Eat first!"  
  
Truly Goku has to be very excited about this to forget about eating. Especially when his last meal was over three whole days ago. But the reminder of food sends Goku's stomach roaring and the young saiyajin puts a sheepish smile on his face. Vegeta sighs and shakes his head in exasperation. {He's still so much like his old self,} he thinks to himself as Goku sets himself down to gobble up the huge meal that his father prepared for him.  
  
In less than two minutes, the young ouji finishes up the last morsel of food and gives a satisfied burp in compliment. Rolling his eyes almost in resignation, Vegeta issues the boy new orders. "Take care of the dishes while I prepare." Goku stares out into the monsoon and down at the dishes at his feet, wondering if his father really wanted him to go out into the rain. "Dump them already!" Vegeta yells, startling his adoptive son into grabbing all the dishes and chucking them out the window.  
  
Vegeta makes a small cry as he hears the glass and ceramic shatter into pieces on what are probably the roots of the tree. Those were their only dishes... His eye twitches as he sets a furious gaze on his son, so terrible that Goku's afraid that he won't let him go through with the ceremony. To heck with that! Goku's afraid that he's going to ditch him outside again for another three weeks!  
  
However, the ouji works hard to calm himself, trembling as he brought his wrath under control. Through gritted teeth, he asks in an unusually calm voice, "You know what to do, right?"  
  
The young saiyajin nods his head vigorously and hurries to the center of the circle, setting himself in the traditional meditative position on the ground, the first step a Jin'wae must do. With movements, slow and deliberate, Vegeta kneels down in front of him with two coconut halves. Calming himself down after Goku's last and recent mistake, he wears an expression half-serene, half-indifferent, as the appointed Shakla'il should be. Instinct takes over as they begin the steps that were ingrained in their blood before they were even born. This time is sacred, a tradition passed down throughout all the eons of saiyajin history. Now is not the time for any personal issues to be involved. No matter how annoying.  
  
The Shakla'il dips his hand in the first improvised bowl filled with blessed water mixed with the blood of royalty, usually a hard thing for commoners to accommodate but with this situation it wasn't a problem. The water was cured over a period of 36 hours, over a fire of roasting owl flesh, essential for the metaphysical properties of the water to rise. Taking his dripping hand out of the water, the Shakla'il flicked the water over the Jin'wae and repeated the process three more times.  
  
In the next bowl, he dips only two fingers into the substance and they come out covered in a strange brownish goop. Cinnamon paste, in replacement of mashed Tarik, but it would work. The Shakla'il spread the paste over the Jin'wae's temples and right under each eye, then a small dab on the forehead like a holy chakra.  
  
When the anointing is done, the Shakla'il whispers into the Jin'wae's ear, "Hajime" and finally done with his duties Vegeta sits back to watch the show in the far corner of the dark room.  
  
****  
  
Goku can barely believe that this is all happening. He waited for this for so long...and he can't remember wanting anything else more in his life. But even as the Shakla'il, his father, is going through the anointing, a foreign presence of pure panic and anxiety threatens to take over his rational thoughts and disrupt the entire process.  
  
When the command, "Hajime," is finally whispered into his ear he doesn't have time to think about why his body is acting so strangely to all this. He immediately goes through the steps that he ritualized before yet wasn't able to practice. Now he's being pushed to use them without any proper training at all. No! He can't think such things! Self-pity won't make this any easier! He just has to deal with it!  
  
He concentrates as best he can, as best as any Jin'wae can, to the goal of emptying his soul from its vessel, namely his body. It isn't easy. In fact it's the most difficult thing he's ever done in his recountable life. Beads of hard sweat form upon his brow as he focuses all his energy into this one daunting task.  
  
The seconds seem to stretch for days, the minutes for years. Damn his soul for being so resistant! He will not fail in this test! If only he can concentrate just a little bit more...  
  
Suddenly he feels an agonizing suction at his heart, feeling as though his heart is being torn in two. And all time seems to stop.  
  
****  
  
Goku's heart fails him and his mind freezes as his body falls to the wooden boards, as limp as a rag doll. Vegeta's anxiety increases as he watches the body shudder and still, the very essence of death descending on it. He's never seen a real Coming-of-Age ceremony before, not even being able to recollect his own, despite its unusual setting in the hidden chambers of Frieza's ship with only Nappa and Raditz as spectators.  
  
Of course, not being able to remember anything of one's own ceremony is normal for all Jin'wae. It's the soul that changes, and every Jin'wae that comes out of the ceremony feeling like...Vegeta scrunches up his face trying to recollect it. It feel like some great part of you has changed drastically only you have no idea how and you can't remember what you were like before. Unsettling yet natural at the same time.  
  
Vegeta snaps out of his reflections immediately once that he realizes that there's some activity within the circle. What?! Already?! It can't be! He glances down at his watch and checks the time. It's only been ten minutes! Bringing his watch to his ear he checks whether it stopped or not, which is impossible since Bulma marketed this watch as unstoppable. Literally. Ten minutes! It usually takes ten hours!  
  
Looking up he sees the start of the astral manifestation begin to take form. So this is what happens during the ceremony. He watches in fascination as the wisps of blue light, casting a blue hue over the cabin walls, come together forming into slender fingers and a sharp face. Vegeta gives the manifestation a queer look, "Why does it look like an elf?"  
  
Minus the ears, that's exactly what it seems to be. It doesn't even look like Goku at all. Tall and slender but strong none-the-less, and with such burning eyes, making Vegeta's skin crawl as its gaze passes over him. Is this really what his soul looks like? The ouji gives a derisive snort, in spite of his unease, "Dammit! I know I should have waited for him to bulk up more."  
  
Yet his heart swells with pride at such a clear and bright manifestation. Goku was obviously ready for this. After all, the young saiyajin proved to be a man more times than Goku can literally remember.  
  
The scorched symbols on the ground soon start to glow with an eerie green tint as soon as the Jin'wae's manifestation is complete. His strong soul will impress Them well. No doubt They will respond soon.  
  
Vegeta isn't disappointed as in only an hour's wait, he can see the signs of Them emerging. They are the Ancients, blood ancestors of the Jin'wae that come to the manifestation to council it on its shift to manhood. He can sees the wisps of green forming into representations of these spirits as They come out to join the Jin'wae.  
  
But wait- something...something isn't right here. Vegeta stiffens as the Ancients take forms and step into the ring with the Goku's soul manifestation. They're...They're all...  
  
His mind starts to reel in shock as he realizes that the Ancients, Goku's Ancients, are the very same saiyajin whose portraits once stood in the Royal Palace of Bejito-sei. Not minding the fact that They ALL look like elves! But They're royalty! All of Them! Well, some of Them he doesn't recognize, but the majority of Them...  
  
Vegeta sits in numb shock, as the Jin'wae goes to every Ancient to talk with Them. He pinches himself to see if he's dreaming. And he does that several more times. How can they have the same ancestors?! How?! Suddenly, the ouji cries out in a terrified shock when he spots his own father in the crowd!  
  
How...how is it possible? Did They get lost or something? Maybe something went wrong with the anointing or the Ring of the Ancients, but as Vegeta scours his mind for an answer he only gets one possible, yet impossible answer back. He looks up and stares at the goings-on. Goku's a definitely a hit with Them, HIS Ancients. They all silently laugh at the Jin'wae's antics, and Vegeta would kill to find out what They're saying.  
  
{They're only one way,} Vegeta thinks to himself, still staring at the circle in petrified shock. {And that's if he's...really my son...}  
  
The prospect scares him and excites him at the same time. There's no way that Goku can be his son, yet there the proof his, right before his eyes in the form of Goku and his blood ancestors.  
  
"He's...He's my son," Vegeta whispers.  
  
"He's really my son," he repeats, this time a smile breaching his face.  
  
"He's my SON!" he yells up, his voice bouncing off the patched wooden ceiling. Completely ignored by the spirits and the Jin'wae, he rushes to the open window for no good to declare it out into the forest.  
  
"DO YOU HEAR THAT, YOU BLOODY GODS OF EARTH?! YOU'LL NEVER TAKE MY LEGACY AWAY! NEVER! HE'S MY SON!!"  
  
Annoyed, the so-called gods of Earth decide to give him a zap with a bolt of lightning, nearly frying him in the process. The spirits and the Jin'wae turn to look at him, a couple of them muttering, "He probably deserves that."  
  
However, Vegeta recovers from his electrocution quickly and slams the shutters closed, humming gaily to himself. He's only ever felt this happy once in his life before, with the birth of his son, Trunks. And whatever the truth is about Goku's Ancients is, the ouji's mind is made up forever.  
  
After ten hours, the Jin'wae finally says goodbye to his Ancients, after gaining their wisdom and stories. Even as the Jin'wae retreats back into his body, he can feel his memories of this ceremony being whisked away by forces unknown to him. Yet he knows in the core of his essence, this experience will remain with him forever.  
  
Half an hour later, a low pulse goes through Goku's body as his heart restarts and his brain starts to work. Oh God! He's so cold! He can feel his very breath coming out in vapors. What the hell happened anyway?  
  
Aching and tired, the young saiyajin looks around the cabin from his vantagepoint on the floor. He can see the sky is clear and a light shade of pink as the unseen sun begins to rise, casting a warm mellow glow into the wooden cabin. His father is in the corner of the room and he's...smiling? Goku blinks at the huge happy smile on Vegeta's face, one so rare and foreign it seems unnatural. Wait a sec, it IS unnatural! Goku shivers at the very look of it. {I wish he'd stop doing that! It's freaking me out!}  
  
"Hello, SON. So you decided to wake up?" Vegeta says cheerfully, bouncing up from his position on the floor. The younger saiyajin watches him warily, still too worn to move. "Well, I'd say the ceremony went off successfully. Despite the fact that your soul looks like an elf." Goku's brow knits in confusion and he wonders whether his father's joking or not.  
  
Vegeta decides to disappear for a while, leaving Goku to himself. He's glad for the solitude. He needs to sort out this jumbled mess inside himself before he can think of anything else, especially his father's bizarre behavior. What happened to him? He can't recall anything except for the fact that something inside of him sort of...shifted...  
  
It's unsettling that he can't even remember if he was like this before. If these thoughts are even his own or if they belong to an entirely new person altogether. He feels a sense of regret welling up in him, like he lost something precious to him, but he doesn't know what he lost, or he did lose anything at all.  
  
Before Goku's brain thinks itself into self-destruction, Vegeta comes back into sight again, holding a long object in his hands, wrapped in soft brown leather. He sits in front of his son, legs folded in under him, resting the object on his lap. Goku senses ceremony in this action and forces himself to copy his father's position, despite the jabbing pains in his body.  
  
"Prince Goku," the elder ouji starts to say, staring his son right in the eye. Goku holds his head high, waiting for the next word, yet he can feel his heart pounding in his chest. Is this a test? Some part of the ceremony that he's not supposed to know about?  
  
"It is customary for royalty to receive their full name after this ceremony, to truly acknowledge them as part of the royal family." Goku's face remains expressionless, not showing the painful relief he feels on the inside. Vegeta continues his narration, "I didn't think that it really mattered in this case, but recently I discovered that it was absolutely necessary.  
  
"So I have come up with your royal name, a name that must never reach the ears of anyone outside the royal family and is only to be used in ceremony."  
  
A pregnant pause..."Your new name is P-" Vegeta stops instantly, mouth still open as if he's choking on his very words.  
  
Goku's eyes widen, "Dad, are you okay?"  
  
The ouji shushes him with a hiss, "Let me speak." He starts again, slowly, fighting for every word. "Your name- your name is...Pri- P-P-" Vegeta struggles to say anything but those two words, but to his horror he realizes that he's fighting a losing battle. "Your name is...is..." He takes a deep breath and calms himself. "Your name is Prince Ximitar Goku- SHIT!!" He yells out his frustration, and feels utterly disgusted with himself for being so weak.  
  
Goku gives his father an understanding smile, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I like it. Minus the Ximitar, it's the best name I've ever heard," he says humoring him a little.  
  
The corner of Vegeta's mouth twists into a small smirk. Though he can't forgive himself for such a stupid thing, at least Prince Ximitar Goku can. "I have something for you," the elder ouji says quietly, holding up the long object.  
  
Intrigued, Goku takes it from his hands, surprised by its heaviness. "This isn't really a custom, but I thought that you would- well..." Vegeta stops, not really sure what to say in this little practiced area.  
  
The recipient stares at the package in confusion. "What is it?"  
  
"It's a gift."  
  
Goku's brow knits in confusion once more, "A gift? What the heck is a gift?"  
  
Vegeta stares at him, blinking slowly. "Please be joking me."  
  
Shaking his head, the younger ouji says, "No, I have no idea what it is."  
  
"...Have I been that bad about them?" Vegeta mutters to himself. Wait...this really is the first gift that he's given Goku since they came to Mute Point. How about that. "A gift, Prince Goku, is something that you give to someone on a special occasion."  
  
"What does that person have to do in return?" Goku asks in genuine curiosity.  
  
Vegeta stares at him again wondering if he's for real or not. Exactly what kind of amnesia does the kid have?! "Nothing," he growls in mild annoyance, "that's the point."  
  
Goku's eyes widen, "Whoa, really?!"  
  
Vegeta sweatdrops, "Yes, really." He suddenly feels like he needs an aspirin.  
  
After that healthy bit of information, Goku eagerly unstraps the leather wrapping to see his free 'gift'. A gasp of awe leaves his mouth as he gazes on the revealed object.  
  
A staff. A beautiful mahogany staff. He can smell its varnish, heady and new, making it glow in the light of the rising sun. Scenes of great battles are carved into the head of the wood with such great craftsmanship that it looks to be the work of a true artisan.  
  
Goku gapes at it, absolutely stunned. He's NEVER seen anything like it before. "It's- it's beautiful..."  
  
A light smirk comes to Vegeta's lips, enjoying the reaction. "Happy Birthday, Prince Ximitar Goku."  
  
****  
  
A couple days later...  
  
Vegeta grunts as he goes for his 2,150,589th push-up in a row, making absolutely sure to repeat the number repeatedly in his head. He already forgot which push-up he was on seven times already, and for seven times he had to restart it all over again. Dammit! He's never going to get his required 3 million daily done if he keeps losing track!  
  
"2,150,590... 2,150,591... 2,150,592... 2,150-AIEE!!" He yelps loudly as something heavy pounces onto his back, making his elbows buckle at the shock of it.  
  
"Hey Dad!" a cheerful voice rings out, accompanied by an upside down head. Vegeta glares spears and daggers at his son and bucks him off his back. Oh he is SO over that son thing. "What do you want?! Or are you interrupting my training just for the hell of it?!"  
  
Goku grins and plops himself in front of the older saiyajin, still holding his new staff in his hands like a treasure. "Nah, I just wanted to tell you I'm going to go outside the forest. Okay?"  
  
Vegeta grumbles, "Fine," before doing a doubletake. "WHAT?!"  
  
Goku says in a reasonable tone, "Well I am a man now. And with my newly acquired manhood is the right to survey and acquire new territory. Well, I might not be able to do much acquiring as I don't have my royal insignia yet, but I can at least do the first part."  
  
The ouji sits up giving himself a better position to glare at his son. "There's two things wrong with that. First, those 'rights' acquired at manhood are PRIVELEDGES which the man's father can take away any time he sees fit. Second, acquiring automatically comes WITH the surveillance. What you want to do is just exploring."  
  
"Oh...So can I go then?"  
  
"NO!" Vegeta yells so violently it nearly makes Goku jump out of his skin. "You don't get ANY of those privileges unless I say it's alright! Therefore, I give you only the privilege to train," he says with a certain smugness in his tone.  
  
The young ouji narrows his eyes not liking this at all. "And if I choose not to exercise that privilege?" Goku asks crossly, folding his skinny arms over his chest.  
  
"THEN I BUST YOUR HEAD OPEN!" the older ouji yells again, this time fury blazing in his eyes. Wide eyed, Goku literally falls back onto the mud- cracked earth at the sudden explosion and scrambles away to the forest as quickly as he can to escape his angry father. Vegeta sighs, watching his son disappear into the trees, before resuming his push-up position. "Now what number was I on? ......CRAP!!!"  
  
****  
  
Goku glares back at camp while he mutters incoherent curses to himself, not really watching where his feet are going. After the tree house is gone from sight between the branches of the high canopies of the jungle, he can barely hold himself up and lets himself fall onto the soft mossy earth.  
  
His heart ties itself into knots at the injustice of his father's rule. He brings a hateful gaze to the mahogany staff, feeling all of his frustrations coming from it. "YOU FAKE!" he screams before slamming it down to the ground. It burrows into the mud at the inhuman speed it contacts the earth, going in two inches into the hard muddy floor. Tears come to Goku's eyes but he wipes them away quickly.  
  
He thought that...He really thought that things would change after the ceremony. That somehow he'll be free to go where his spirit wanders, free to escape this prison of a jungle. He can feel it constrict on him, the trees. Everyday he spends in this place, it comes in on him and constricting his movement, his heart...  
  
The thought that he'll spend the rest of his life in this place, it haunts him, turning his life into a living nightmare. And as the days pass it feels like some part of him is dying, wasting away in this tight, possessive...  
  
He has to get out of here.  
  
Screw his father.  
  
Escape is all that matters.  
  
Turning his back on the camp, Goku sets his sights in a straight line. If he just keeps to the line, he'll get out of here soon enough. And then he'll be free...  
  
****  
  
Finally done with his 3 million push-ups (although it was probably 13 million by the time he got through with them), Vegeta sits down on the mud- cracked earth to rest and to try to shake the numbness from his arms. With a resigned sigh, he thinks back on what conversation made him forget the numbers last time.  
  
Dammit. He should really explain things to the boy. No, he corrects himself, the young man. His son's definitely going to take things the wrong way, he knows it. Even though Goku just had his Coming-of-Age ceremony, his head's STILL not screwed on right. He was stupid for thinking that visits from all of Goku's Ancients would turn Goku's head right.  
  
Those human ideas of dissatisfaction and improvement are so ingrained into Goku's mind that he's still affected by them even with a completely saiyajin upbringing. Well, all right, so living in an isolated forest isn't exactly his idea of a real saiyajin upbringing, but at least his son isn't exposed to any ideas other than his own.  
  
Then again, what is training and the quest for power all about? Self- improvement on all levels. "No wonder Prince Goku's confused," Vegeta mutters, annoyed, "I can't really explain it myself."  
  
He gets up and tries to sense his son through their kin bond. His eyes widen immediately at the shocking weakness of it. There is something definitely wrong here. Even if they're on opposite ends of the forest, he should be able to sense Goku better than this. ESPECIALLY since their sense of ki is muted. By the Gods...he can't be...  
  
His legs break into a run, following the tracks that Goku left a long time ago into the jungle. Oh Gods! How stupid he was just letting Goku run off after an argument like that! Obviously his son would try something stupid! Sure enough he soon finds his son's staff nearly buried in the muddy floor and he takes a quick second to pry it out of the ground, before running off again. {If he really is doing what I think he's doing...Then I'll beat him over the head with this very stick!!}  
  
Yet as he runs, the path turns more and more familiar, one stored in a memory of long ago. Yet not that long, he thinks knowing there's something eerie about this path. Then it hits him like a bullet. Death Gorge! His son's heading right for Death Gorge!!  
  
But WHY? Whatever possessed him to go to THAT place?! The tracks suddenly stop on the ground. Only one thing then. Vegeta scans the treetops. Broken branches scour the trees as Goku ran through them. It was sloppy, like Goku was speeding like his life depended on it.  
  
The ouji jumps to the trees and follows the trail of minor destruction, hoping that somehow it goes off path away from the impending doom. Suddenly, a break in the trees. {Please, let him be here, please!} Vegeta prays as he flies to the edge of the trees.  
  
He snaps his head around and spots his son on the edge of the gorge. "NO!" Vegeta screams just as his son falls over the edge. Without thinking he runs to the cliff edge and jumps in after, catching Goku by the hand before he falls in the gorge's endless shadow. Vegeta sighs a breath of relief and holds Goku against his chest, squeezing him as if he'll lose him if he loosens his grip just the slightest bit.  
  
Suspended in the air, Vegeta takes a daring look down into the black chasm. Silence echoes off the stony red walls. Not even the howl of wind comes through the walls as if it is sucked into the darkness. Spiny chills crawl up Vegeta's spine, knowing this may not be the last time he has to save Goku from this evil place.  
  
As quickly as he can he takes his son up to the top of the gorge and lays him down on the stony ground. "Prince Goku. Prince Goku, say something!" His son...he looks so pale and his eyes are glazed over as if he's in a trance.  
  
"Daddy," Goku calls out, his voice nothing more than a dying last breath. "Daddy, something is calling me."  
  
Vegeta's heart ties into knots as anxiety storms into it again. "No! Don't listen to it!" his voice full of desperation.  
  
"Daddy, I can't see you."  
  
His father's eyes widen in alarm. "Prince Goku, I'm right here!"  
  
"No..."  
  
Vegeta grabs his face roughly, forcing the young saiyajin to face him. "Prince Ximitar Goku! Look at me!" The young man shakes his head, though his dull eyes stare right at him. "I said look at me!" Vegeta yells, shaking Goku's head again. "Do you know what's happening?"  
  
Goku's face screws into tears as he tries to fight off the invading darkness. "No! I can't, it's all dark! I was so mad at you! I'm sorry! I want to- to hurt you so badly!" His voice cracks as he struggles for the words. "I threw the gift away. I wanted to get away from you! Then it all went dark." He pauses his narration and his blind eyes widen in panic. "Something's calling me! I can hear it!"  
  
Vegeta gives his son a squeeze. "Calm down. I won't let anything happen to you. We just need to get away from this place. You'll be alright. Now, I'm going to pick you up." He picks up Goku from the ground and hops up to the treetops in the direction from which he came. He gets a hold of the mahogany staff and places it in Goku's hands. "I'm taking you away from here. Never come to Death Gorge again. And never try to go outside the forest."  
  
The young saiyajin nods, his fist clutching the staff like it's his own precious brother. "I'll never- I won't go outside. Never-no, I won't." As Vegeta takes them further away from the evil gorge, he can feel his senses coming back to him, blurred wisps of images breaking through the darkness clutching his eyes, and relief washes over him as the mysterious voice calling his name fades away. A small smile comes to his face and he closes his eyes to rest. "I love you, Daddy."  
  
Vegeta nearly trips at the sudden declaration. "Wha-what?! What the hell made you decide to say that?!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Goku says in mild confusion. If this isn't the best time to say it then what is?  
  
"Didn't I tell you to stop apologizing?" the ouji asks, still a little flustered from the loose use of the 'L' word.  
  
"So-Yes."  
  
"Better."  
  
****  
  
A/N: ...That chapter was mush, too... Ah well, when you're packing years into one chapter it's bound to happen. 


	86. The end of isolation, about time, too

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Yay! Enough of the jungle growing up scenes! I promise, things are going to heat up now!  
  
****  
  
In the pitch-black night, all is silent as the creatures of the jungle roam around in the high loping trees. The forest bed is barely lit with specks of moonlight shining through the thick canopy of leaves. Predators lurk in the hot jungle, getting ready to hunt down their next meal. A small rustle breezes through the canopy tops. To the untrained eye it is merely from a light wind passing through. But to the hunted, they would know an unnatural predator is stalking through the trees. A shadowy figure stops above a clearing, waiting in silent readiness. Then he spots his prey.  
  
A jaguar, also prowling in the bush. Only it doesn't know it's about to become the hunted. The shadowy figure swiftly pounces on the jaguar and then wrestles it down to the ground. But the mighty cat won't give up easy. It fights back its attacker with a loud roar, also wrestling with the creature. They roll all across the ground, until the attacker relents and lets the jaguar pin him to the ground.  
  
A merry laugh rings out in the dense jungle, "Okay! Okay! You win!"  
  
The large cat jumps off of its assailant, puffing out its chest and looking very proud of itself. In truth it's only about two years old, just barely out its cub years and raring to be out on its own. Goku had found the little cub when it was just four months old, its mother lost in a forest fire. So since then he'd been taking care of the jaguar, feeding it meat on an irregular basis and playing wrestling games with it would with its mother. Now it's starting to go off hunting on its own, so Goku doesn't bother bringing meat any more. But he continues to visit whenever he can.  
  
The young saiyajin jumps up from the ground, only to show that he's not so young either.  
  
Under the ouji's ever-watchful eye, Goku had grown from a little boy into a young man. Now he is aged fourteen. Five years had passed since that day that the hospital blew up and Vegeta had taken him into Mute Point.  
  
Somehow he still hasn't recovered his memory, provided Vegeta didn't exactly 'encourage' it, and he had learned all the rites of being a saiyajin no ouji and more. But to the real ouji's delight, the young saiyajin is becoming more and more like him everyday, and he is indeed succeeding at molding the young impressionable Goku into his image.  
  
Except now Goku is starting to become a rebellious teenager.  
  
A VERY rebellious teenager, and the ouji starts cursing the day nearly everyday that he decided to call himself the boy's father.  
  
Goku checks the time by the moon and winces, "Aw jeez! I need to get back before Dad sees I'm gone." He cups the young jaguar's face in his hands and smiles, "I'll see you later, okay?" The cat gives a little 'rar' in comprehension. Then Goku rushes off, quick as lightning, picking up the staff that he dropped during the wrestling match.  
  
He jumps from tree to tree, scurrying across the forest until finally he comes back to the tree house. The ever faithful tree house that Vegeta built with his own hands. Only it had two stories to it now and is actually very comfortable to live in. Goku jumps to the roof of the tree house and opens up a panel that he made there himself; he ducks his head inside to check around and then jumps in. He smirks to himself, "Ha! Another success!"  
  
A voice suddenly says behind him, "I don't think so, brat."  
  
Goku gives a small shriek and turns around, holding a hammering chest in his hand. He can just barely see an outline of the ouji in the dim moonlight.  
  
Good ol' Vegeta. He hasn't changed a bit in five years. However, Goku was growing more and more into his former stature. In fact he's just about an inch taller than the ouji now, which he likes to point out every minute of every day, until Vegeta gets so annoyed he would go chase the teenager around the forest, cursing at him with very colorful words; some that Goku thinks he might have made up.  
  
Vegeta demands in a flat voice, though his eyes burn in fury, "Where were you?" Despite the disguised voice, Goku can tell the ouji is absolutely livid.  
  
The teenage saiyajin says nervously, trying to think a way out of this mess. "Uh..... I was just out in the front yard, not doing anything."  
  
That's when the ouji steps out into the moonlight and he hisses, "And I suppose that JAGUARS WANDER INTO OUR CAMP?! Which is all the way across the forest from the JUNGLE!!"  
  
Goku winces, {Jeez, busted!}  
  
Vegeta screams, "YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT YOU'RE BUSTED!" He grabs Goku's shirt and demands, "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO WANDER AROUND ON YOUR OWN AT NIGHT?! YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME ANYMORE YOU LITTLE-" and then he goes off into a string of English curses. The teenager mentally groans. His father only ever speaks English if he's furious.  
  
Goku protests, as if that would help the situation at all, "But Dad, I was just checking on Lara. I haven't seen her for nearly two months. And you know that jaguars only come out at night."  
  
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! If you really wanted to see her you should've asked me to go with you! BUT YOUR FRICKIN' LIFE IS IN DANGER!! WHAT IF BLADE FOUND YOU AND I WASN'T THERE?!!"  
  
At this, the younger saiyajin turns angry and starts yelling back in an equally powerful voice, "BLADE! BLADE! BLADE! THAT'S ALL I EVER HEAR COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!! YOU TALK ABOUT HIM SO MUCH, AND YET I NEVER SEE HIM_ONCE_!!"  
  
"YOU SHOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY!"  
  
Goku growls in frustration and hisses accusingly, "I bet you just made him up! Just so that you can keep me under lock and key! I wouldn't be surprised if you just told me he doesn't exist! In fact I'm completely sure that he doesn't!"  
  
The ouji stares at him in silence, his expression turning lethal. He marches right up to Goku's nose, seeming to tower over the young teenager and he says in a quiet, clear voice, "Don't you ever say that again."  
  
Goku's eyes widen in astonishment, "Dad, I-"  
  
"Never again! Do you understand me?! NEVER AGAIN!"  
  
All the teenager can do is nod, in silent shock. Vegeta visibly slumps and gives Goku a very tired, haggard look and then quietly heads downstairs down the wooden ladder into the living area. Goku suddenly realizes that he got away without being punished. But far from being elated, his father's behavior had disturbed him terribly. He peeks down to the first floor and sees the ouji sitting in a chair, holding up his bent head with a hand, just staring at the floor. He had never seen his father look so.....damaged.....  
  
Unsure of how to act, Goku quietly gets ready for bed instead.  
  
A while later, Vegeta comes back upstairs to check on him. Goku has his back towards the ladder, his face turned towards the window. The ouji sits on the side of the bed, tilting it with his added weight. Leaning his head on the backboard of the bed, he sighs, "I know you're frustrated by all these rules I put on you. If it was me, I'd have run away a long time ago." Putting a strong hand on Goku's shoulder, he continues, "I just wish you wouldn't do such stupid things."  
  
Thinking that the teenager is asleep, he starts to get up, but suddenly Goku grabs his hand and in a shaky voice says, "I didn't mean to say that. I didn't think it would hurt you that badly. I'm sorry."  
  
Vegeta gives him a small smirk and pulls him up to look at him, "Prince Goku, that doesn't really matter. What matters is that you're safe, and well, relatively content with your life. The thing I'm most afraid of is that I'm going to lose you just like I did the others. You're all that I have left in this Godforsaken world."  
  
Goku smiles and then hugs his father and says, "I love you, Dad."  
  
This is only the second chance that Vegeta gets to reply right in the last four years and he's not going to waste it. He leans Goku's head onto his chest and says, "I love you too, son."  
  
**** (The end of the drama.....hopefully.....)  
  
The next morning, Goku bounds out of bed at the crack of dawn with a refreshed smile on his face. What a great way to start a day! Training from dawn! He's quick to change into his training clothes and makes sure that there's no bugs that crawled into them in the middle of the night.  
  
He grabs a leather band, tying his hair into a ponytail to keep it out of his face while training, letting three bangs fall to the right side of his face. Then he picks up his mahogany staff propped up against the window and hops down to the dining area, where a whole pot of wild rice porridge is waiting for him. Gulping it down like a famished man, he finishes quickly and then jumps down from the tree house, nearly landing on Vegeta who's training outside. Goku says quickly, "Sorry, Dad! Bye Dad!" bounding off into the woods.  
  
The ouji just glares at him, then rolls his eyes and goes on with his one- hand stand push-ups.  
  
Goku runs the full length of the forest along the underbrush and back again, going back again past the tree house to the other side of the forest. Then he does this for 100 more laps, continually running past Vegeta, training by the tree house, until finally the ouji gets fed up and grabs the back of Goku's shirt as he runs past, yelling in his face, "WILL YOU QUIT THAT! YOU'RE MAKING ME DIZZY! GO TRAIN SOMEWHERE ELSE!"  
  
The teenager gives him a sheepish grin and escapes the ouji's grip, running off towards the bamboo thicket. Again Vegeta gives him a venomous glare.  
  
In the infamous bamboo thicket, where Goku first discovered his strength, the teenager whips out his mahogany staff and practices with it. He has two different staffs now actually. One bamboo, and his favorite mahogany one. The bamboo one is light and flexible, while the mahogany is its complete opposite, requiring Goku to learn different styles for each of them. Not that he has anything better to do.  
  
Suddenly something swooshing up above the treetops catches his attention. He blinks, looking up with a frown, but he ignores it and continues training. About five minutes later he hears a sound resembling an explosion coming from the direction of the Quicksand Pits. Goku's eyes widen, "What the heck?"  
  
Curiosity starts getting the better of the teenager. He knows he's not allowed to go over into that area..... And he really doesn't want to get into the same conversation he had with his father last night. He bites his bottom lip, when billows of smoke starts to fume from the site. He mutters to himself, "I'll just take a quick peek. I'll fly just over the ground a little bit. He'll never know I'm gone."  
  
With that he hovers off the ground by an inch and then zooms over to the Quicksand Pits.  
  
****  
  
Goku looks around the decaying marshlands warily, careful not even to let one inch of him touch the ground. Most of the trees seem rotten and dying, releasing a pungent smell, not so safe to try and swing around in. The area is denser than most parts of the forest that Goku's seen, covering the area in darkness as if it's night. Nervous, the teenager almost decides to turn back.  
  
Then an odd scent comes to this nose. The smell of fire, along with.....something else..... As he gets closer to the site, he can see light shining through the trees. He hides behind one, readying his staff in his hands, and then peeks around the tree trunks.  
  
That's when he see the oddest contraption he's ever seen, after the coma, in his life. It looks almost like a mini house thingy, only full of windows and the color of it is the same as the burning tongues of fire. Half of it is stuck up in a tree and the other is slowly sinking into a quicksand pit, burning up and choking out black smoke. It also has two wide boards coming out of it and barrels at what looks like the back of it. And then there's someone standing in front of it. Goku freezes and hides behind the tree once more, starting to panic. What if this is the guy that his father is always trying to warn him about?! What if it's Blade?!  
  
Suddenly the teenager frowns, {Wait a second, doesn't Blade have a sword?} He peeks around the trunk once again, but then the figure starts to turn around, and Goku hides again. He curses inwardly and thinks, {Dammit! I can't remember what a sword is! Hmmm..... I'll probably remember once I see it. I want to take a closer look.} He hops up into the branches and crawls along the largest one above the guy's head, completely silent.  
  
Goku sits there and watches the stranger in wonder. For some reason the guy starts jumping up and down, right in the same spot. He has the oddest clothes that he's ever seen in his life, again after the coma. But it's the HAIR that catches his attention the most. He's never even SEEN that color before. Goku starts leaning over the side of the branch even more, completely mesmerized by the color, until he realizes too late that he's slipping from the branch.  
  
He gives a loud yelp as he falls out from the tree. Suddenly, something catches him and he looks up and sees a vine tangled up around his ankle. He looks up/down and shrieks, realizing that the stranger is looking right at him. He tries scrambling back up to the branch using the vine, but as he struggles it only ends up unraveling and he falls to the ground with a loud thud.  
  
Instantly, Goku clambers to his feet and points his staff at the stranger, ready to attack.  
  
The stranger just stares at him as if he was crazy. Then he tries communicating to the boy with the staff, who seems to be a forest native, "Uh hi, there. I come in peace?"  
  
The native just narrows his eyes, keeping the same stance.  
  
The stranger mutters nervously, "Um. Ookay." He clears his throat and says slowly, "Do you know English? You know, EN-GA-LISH."  
  
Still no reply.  
  
The stranger frowns, "Huh, I guess not." He heads back towards the ship, only to have the native yell at him angrily in a foreign language. The stranger smiles good naturedly, "Hey, calm down! I'm just getting my stuff!" pointing to the section of the ship up in the tree.  
  
The dark haired native gives him a very deep frown, but doesn't object anymore.  
  
The stranger climbs up the tree and grabs something out of the cockpit muttering to himself, "How did I ever manage to get stuck in a place like this?" He hops back down to the ground and turns back to the native, "Um, would you happen to know a way out of here?"  
  
The native stares at him blankly, so the stranger attempts to pantomime it, getting absolutely nothing except a confused look. Sighing, the stranger hoists his bag over his shoulder and points to himself, "Can I-" then to the native, "go with you?"  
  
This time the native seems to understand. He gives a smile and nods, turning the other way out of the marshlands. Finally thinking he's getting somewhere and the teenage stranger starts following the native out of the gloomy bog. While they're walking, the stranger takes a closer look at the native, noting that they're about the same age. But the odd thing is he's positive that he's seen this native before. And his heart wrenches at the expression on the native's face. It looks like one that his father always wore.  
  
Laughing out loud, the teenage stranger says, "You wouldn't believe it, but you look exactly like a combination of two people I knew." The native gives him an odd look, and hops over a log in their path. The stranger frowns and hops as well, only not quite as far as the native.  
  
The native boy gives a loud yelp, and only then does the stranger realize that he's stuck in a black quicksand pit, and is already sinking to his knees. He starts struggling, only increasing the native's distress. The dark haired teenager thinks quickly and climbs up a tree only to hop right back down with a vine. Then he wraps one end around a tree and flings the other end to the stranger, who's now up to his chest in black sand.  
  
Understanding at once, the strange teenager starts pulling himself out of the quicksand pit, the native pulling him out as well. In about three seconds flat, the stranger pops out of the quicksand back onto stable land. Both of them breathe a huge sigh of relief and smile at each other. The stranger looks up at the native and smiles, "Hey, thanks a lot. You saved my life there."  
  
To his complete shock, the dark haired native replies, "No problem."  
  
The stranger blinks, "You can talk?!"  
  
"Yeah! I got you pretty good, didn't I?" the native laughs, but his English has a very odd accent to it.  
  
The teenage stranger sweatdrops, "I guess you did." He smiles and holds out his hand, "Hi, my name's Trunks."  
  
The native takes it and also grins, "And I'm Goku."  
  
At once they both stare at each other blankly, before yelling out simultaneously, "I know that name!"  
  
Goku frowns, "Wait a sec! That isn't right! The Trunks I know is dead!"  
  
Trunks counters, "Well the Goku I know is dead!"  
  
Both teenagers frown at each other, but then shrug, "Oh well."  
  
Trunks sits back down and sighs, looking at his nearly ruined bag, "Oh great. This thing's all mucked up with sand. Do you mind if I stop and check it?"  
  
Goku merely shrugs, "Sure go ahead. The way we're going it's going to take forever to get back to the house."  
  
"You have a house? You mean like a capsule model?" Trunks starts wagging his tail excitedly, hoping that maybe there's civilized people here.  
  
"No, my dad built it."  
  
"Huh, I don't see a lot of people doing that anymore," Trunks mutters a bit disappointed. Then he takes a look around the forest, "Then again, I don't get stuck in a lot of forests like these." He snaps open his bag and pulls out several objects from inside it, some soggy with sand and others surviving the ordeal.  
  
Goku stops himself from staring at Trunks' hair again and tries to make conversation, "You know what's weird?"  
  
Trunks says absentmindedly, "What?" still searching his bag.  
  
"You're the only other person I've met in my life besides my dad."  
  
The strange teenager raises an eyebrow at Goku and then goes back to work, "You must be pretty lonely then."  
  
Goku protests, "Oh, I'm not! My dad's great! Well..... Actually he's kind of violent, curses a lot, he's only told me he loves me ONCE, but he's still good."  
  
A deep sadness wells up in Trunks' heart and he mumbles, "I had a dad like that."  
  
The young saiyajin notes the past tense in that sentence and says quietly, "Sorry."  
  
Trunks smiles, "Don't worry. I'm fine." Finally he pulls out the object that he's looking for. A long object wrapped up in brown packaging, untouched by sand. The teenager sighs a breath of relief, "Whew, I'm glad this one's okay. My brother would've killed me if this got wrecked!"  
  
Goku leans over the package and asks curiously, "What is it?"  
  
"Here, I'll show you." Then Trunks pulls off the brown paper, revealing an ancient Japanese Nodachi. He grins up at Goku, "My brother ordered this from Kyoto, but they couldn't deliver it so I ended up going to pick it up."  
  
The dark haired teenager's eyes widen as a flashback comes to his mind.  
  
//Flashback//  
  
Vegeta looks sternly down at Goku and says, "Now remember, Blade is a shape shifter. I'm not sure if he just takes the forms of people he absorbed or if he can change into anyone or anything. But one thing is for sure. When he's hunting you down, he's going to have his sword with him. So if anyone you see has a sword you run from them."  
  
A nine-year-old Goku blinks innocently up at his father, "Father, what's a sword?"  
  
The ouji stares at him and smacks himself in the forehead, muttering to himself, "Kami help me." He looks around the room for some visual reference and picks up a knife off the dining room table showing it to Goku, "Okay, think of this as a sword."  
  
".....But it's a knife....."  
  
"I KNOW IT'S A KNIFE! WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!" Vegeta takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and says shakily, as if he's suppressing his anger, which he probably is, "Now a sword is almost like a knife. It's long and it's metallic. But swords come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so don't trust anyone with one!"  
  
"Well then how do you tell the difference between a knife and a sword?"  
  
Vegeta sighs, "If it's bigger than two feet," he holds out his arms, showing the length to the young saiyajin, "then run."  
  
//End Flashback//  
  
And that's what Goku does. Once he recognizes the description, he bolts for the trees hurrying back to the tree house. Trunks yells in surprise, "HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" But then he sees something unraveling at the dark haired teenager's waist, extending to full length at the back of Goku's pants.  
  
A tail. A saiyajin tail.  
  
At once, Trunks whispers to himself, "Holy crap," then cups his hands around his mouth and screams up at the trees, "GOKU! GOKU!! COME BACK!!!" Hastily he scans the objects on the ground and says, "Aw man," picking up the sword and jumping up into the trees, trying to chase after the runaway saiyajin. "GOKU!!! PLEASE! COME BACK!!"  
  
****  
  
"DADDY!!! DAADEEEE!!! HELP!!!"  
  
Vegeta blinks lazily out of his nap and rolls up out of the couch in the cabin, "What the hell does that kid want now?" Then his expression turns blank, "He hasn't called me Daddy for nearly two years." He jumps down the stairs and down to campsite below the tree house.  
  
Goku comes running out of the forest, screaming and once he sees the ouji, goes running for him, "DADDY!" He says in hysterics once he gets closer, "Daddy! I didn't mean to! But I went- and there was a fire! There was this big thing, I don't know what the hell it was- And there was a kid! The same age as me! But he was chasing me! And he still is!"  
  
The ouji grabs Goku's shoulder and says in alarm, "Prince Goku! Was it Blade?!"  
  
The teenager just shakes his head, "I don't know! But he has a huge-"  
  
He's suddenly interrupted by a loud, "GOKU!!! WAIT UP!!!" Goku yelps and hides behind Vegeta, trying to make himself smaller than him.  
  
Meanwhile, his father just stares at the pathway. He knows that voice. Then a lavender haired teenager comes running up the pathway, looking like a ningen that just sprinted five miles straight. Vegeta takes a step towards the teenager and whispers, "Trunks?"  
  
Goku yells, "Dad! The sword!"  
  
The ouji just ignores him. Trunks also stares up at Vegeta in complete disbelief and chokes out, "F-Father?"  
  
They stare at each other in complete silence, while Goku watches his father in astonishment and waves a hand in front of his face, trying to get some sort of reaction. Nothing. Goku's expression turns livid and he points his staff at Trunks, "What the hell did you do to him?!"  
  
Trunks ignores him as well and drops the sword, running up to his father and tightly wrapping his arms around the saiyajin no ouji's torso. Vegeta makes no move to stop him. The lavender haired demi-saiyajin cries, "Dad! Oh god, Dad. I thought you were dead! Where the hell were you the whole time?! Kami, who cares! You're alive!"  
  
Vegeta says shakily, "I could say the same thing to you."  
  
Goku stares at them, his jaw dropped in disbelief. {Kami, it's his Trunks! It must be!} Then he sees the way that they're holding each other, just like the way Vegeta would always do with him if he's hurt or has some sort of emotional dilemma. He never actually imagined that his father would do that with anyone else.....  
  
Then he starts to feel threatened by this new kid, the bitter bite of jealousy taking a hold of him all too quickly. His tail puffs out and his eyes grow as narrow as slits. Growling possessively, he pushes Trunks onto the ground, away from Vegeta. {MINE!}  
  
Both the ouji and his son stare at Goku incredulously, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"  
  
Goku looks at Vegeta hopelessly, "But Dad....."  
  
Trunks looks like he's just been slapped, "DAD?!"  
  
Vegeta hisses urgently, "He's your half-brother."  
  
Blinking, Trunks gets up and suddenly pulls off the band Goku is using to keep his hair in a ponytail. It poofs up back to its original form, the one that Trunks would have recognized instantly. The lavender haired teenager gapes at Goku before managing to point at him and yell, "Half-brother my ass! That's Goku!"  
  
Goku gives his father a confused look, "Dad? What's he talking about?"  
  
The ouji turns to Trunks and screams, "WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"  
  
****  
  
Trunks looks around the tree house in wonder, "Wow, Dad, you did this without any tools at all?" All three of them are inside now, sitting around in the living area, which is just made up of two plush meditation pillows and a blue couch. Goku takes up a pillow, sitting indian style on the ground, while the other two take the couch.  
  
Vegeta glances at the two boys and asks, "How did you two meet up?"  
  
Goku answers sheepishly, "I found him over at the Quicksand Pits."  
  
"Oh, alright." Then the ouji blinks and suddenly turns furious, "YOU WERE WHERE?!"  
  
Trunks laughs nervously, "Dad, calm down! If he hadn't gone I wouldn't be here right now."  
  
At this, the teenage saiyajin frowns and then goes to kneel in front of Vegeta, "Moushi wake arimasen, otousan! I swear I'll never disobey you ever again!"  
  
Both the ouji and Trunks sweatdrop at this.  
  
Vegeta just sighs, "Stop being ridiculous." He looks back at Trunks, feeling elated but also nervous at his long lost son's presence. Especially with all the suspicious looks Goku keeps throwing at the demi-saiyajin. He demands, "Trunks, what the hell happened at the hospital? I was convinced that you were dead. Dammit, even your ki's were all gone too! I even went to check with Dende and he couldn't find your ki at all either!"  
  
His son bites his lip, "Well, we weren't on the planet actually. Well Goku had taught Gohan how to use Instant Transmission, while he was still in your body. Once we saw Blade in the hospital, Gohan instantly teleported us over to New Namek."  
  
The ouji says flatly, "Leaving the two of us behind."  
  
Trunks says guiltily, "Well.....yeah, but it wasn't exactly my choice at the time. We ended staying on New Namek for the day, and then Gohan brought us back over to the Lookout that same night to see Dende."  
  
"But that Namek knew where we were, dammit!"  
  
Suddenly Goku says something to Vegeta in a language that Trunks can't understand, the same language that he heard the saiyajin speaking in earlier at the quicksand pits.  
  
[Dad? What does he mean, I was inside your body? He makes it sound like you were pregnant with me.]  
  
[I was not pregnant with you! I can't even get pregnant! Just don't listen to any of this! I'll talk you later about it!]  
  
Trunks frowns, "Um.....what?"  
  
The ouji answers, "I've been teaching Prince Goku how to speak saiyago."  
  
His son blinks, but then snorts and bursts into laughter, "Kami! I forgot all about that whole Prince Goku thing! Man, that's priceless!"  
  
Vegeta says flatly, "I'm glad you find it so amusing, seeing as you're the one who did it to me."  
  
Trunks smiles, "Well yeah, but it was Goku's idea," pointing to the young saiyajin.  
  
Shocked, when Goku sees the ouji's glare on him he says defensively, "Dad! I have no idea what he's talking about! I only just met him!"  
  
The demi-saiyajin demands, "Dad? What's the matter with him?"  
  
Vegeta sighs, "He has amnesia."  
  
"Again?!"  
  
A sigh. "Yes."  
  
Trunks looks up in thought, "I get it now. That's why he couldn't recognize me." He turns to Goku, "So Goku-"  
  
Goku says in a very nasty tone, "That's Prince Goku to you, half blood."  
  
The demi-saiyajin stares at him, "Excuse me?!" He looks back at Vegeta, who sweatdrops. Trunks stares at him in disbelief, {He didn't even try to correct him!} His mild disapproval of the young saiyajin bursts into full- fledged jealous contempt.  
  
His father asks, "You were saying about the Namek?"  
  
Trunks grits his teeth, still very annoyed with the other teenager, "He told us to find you using a red ball thing that he gave us. Ah well, I think that's where we got mixed up. The ball kept pointing towards the North Pole."  
  
Vegeta stares at him, silently for a long time, "..............What?"  
  
The demi-saiyajin frowns, "Yeah, all we found up there was a map. I guess you guys were supposed to be connected to it."  
  
The ouji's eyes widened and he thinks, {Kami! I always assumed it got sucked into the quicksand! But how the hell did it get all the way to the North Pole?!}  
  
Trunks continues, "Anyway, we went back to Dende and told him that the ball was busted and asked him to locate you guys with his powers. He told us he couldn't. We thought that meant that you guys were, well..... Dead. So then we tried using the Dragonballs. But then that stupid Shenlong said that it couldn't sense you either, either on Earth or in Otherworld!" He quiets down a bit, "We all thought that you died and decided to be reincarnated....."  
  
He grins, "Well anyway, I can see why neither Dende nor Shenlong could sense you. This has to be the weirdest place I've ever been in! Does it take away your ki, or what?"  
  
Goku frowns, "You just can't sense it here. Or at least that's what Dad said."  
  
Trunks gives him an odd look, "Maybe you should get your memory back..... Dad? Why didn't you come home?"  
  
Vegeta sighs, "Two reasons, first, we're supposed to be hiding out here from Blade. Second..... I can't find my out of here." Both Goku and Trunks sweatdrop.  
  
"Well Dad, you don't need to be hiding from Blade anymore."  
  
The ouji says in disbelief, "You defeated him?!"  
  
"No, we just never saw him again after the hospital."  
  
"HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY ASSUME THAT HE'S DEAD?!"  
  
Trunks sweatdrops, "Well, he could have died in the explosion."  
  
Vegeta screams, "I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT CRAP! I DIDN'T WASTE FOUR YEARS OF MY LIFE OUT HERE BECAUSE OF A DEAD MAN! WHY THE HELL WOULD HE DIE IN HIS OWN EXPLOSION ANYWAY?!"  
  
His son gives him an odd look, the word DENIAL ringing in his mind, "Well, besides that, Dad, why don't you just come back? What about Mom? And Mirai?"  
  
Silent for a while, the ouji suddenly says, "Prince Goku, go outside."  
  
Goku frowns, "Why do_I_have to go?"  
  
"Because I said so. Now go."  
  
The teenage saiyajin groans and heads to the door, hopping out onto the ground below the tree house. Vegeta closes the door and looks back at Trunks, a serious expression on his face, "Now is not a good time to leave."  
  
His son protests, "Why not?!"  
  
"Blade is still alive. I know he is. And Prince Goku..... If that vile creature ever gets his hands on him it'll be the doom of us all! Prince Goku's safe here! And he actually likes it here, too!"  
  
Trunks' eyes narrow, "You're still here because of him?"  
  
"It's always been about him."  
  
"Well, well, what about us?! You have a responsibility to your real family, too! You can't just abandon us, for a- a kid, who's not even your actual son!"  
  
Vegeta hisses, "He is too my son!"  
  
"Oh my God!" Trunks laughs in vicious criticism. "You've been deluding yourself and him for the past four years! He has family, too! One that's ALIVE! Or did you actually forget this isn't his real age?!"  
  
The ouji growls angrily, "I WON'T have you talking that way to me! No matter how much you think you've grown!"  
  
His son turns back to him and demands, "Fine, just answer me this. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in this forest?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Then PLEASE, get out of here while you still can! You've been away from everyone else for so long! It scares me how much you two have changed! You were only gone for four years and I couldn't recognize Goku at all when I saw him! And he called me a half-blood! A half-blood for crying out loud! Even you didn't call me that!"  
  
"....."  
  
Trunks groans, "Fine! Do what you want to! I don't care! I'm going to try and get out of here in the morning anyway! But listen to me, if I can find you out in the middle of nowhere then what's stopping Blade?"  
  
Determined not to contribute another word in the discussion, Vegeta says, "You can take my bed tonight. I won't be needing it." Then he goes outside to fetch Goku.  
  
His son sighs, "How could I have forgotten how stubborn you are?" He looks around the cabin, "Now I wonder where's Dad's bed?"  
  
About half an hour later, Goku tips his bed over onto its side, screaming at its current occupant, "GET OUT OF MY BED, YOU LOUSY BUM!!"  
  
****  
  
A/N: .....Yeah, they definitely don't like each other that much. 


	87. Drizzle

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.  
  
A/N: Oh man, I have been waiting for ages for my computer to start working again! I've been waiting for this just as long as you guys have. I hope that you enjoy it.

* * *

The next morning is a drizzly one, just the start of the rainy season. Droplets of water collect up from the light drizzle and drip down from roof onto the indian red, muddy ground far below. The tree tops sway back and forth from the light wind as if enchanted. A few leaves fly past along with a pair of ordinary sparrows and a wonderfully plumed bird of paradise. An impossible sight anywhere else but Mute Point.  
  
Goku watches all this with a grin on his face. He can relax today since its raining out. Unless his father decides to tutor him early today. He groans and hides his head with his blanket.  
  
As expected, he hears footsteps coming up to his bed and a hand firmly grasps him on the shoulder, "Prince Goku, get up, I know you're awake."  
  
The teenage saiyajin whines, "Ugh, I have a headache."  
  
"I DON'T CARE, NOW GET UP!"  
  
Goku yelps, bolting out of bed, only to trip himself with his covers. He recovers quickly, bouncing up and demanding, "Dad, what's the matter?"  
  
Vegeta gives him a hard look and turns away, "Pack up your personal belongings. Anything that you want to keep."  
  
His son blinks, "We're not going out onto another training trip are we?"  
  
Without turning around, the ouji says in a firm voice, "Prince Ximitar Goku. We are never going to see this house or this forest again. Now pack."  
  
Goku stares at him in disbelief and shakes his head slightly not seeming to comprehend, "W-we're LEAVING?!"  
  
"I believe that you heard me."  
  
At this the young saiyajin runs over in front of the ouji and yells in confusion, "We can't just leave! Dad, we LIVE here! This is our HOME! I-I- can't even imagine staying somewhere else!"  
  
Vegeta puts his hands on Goku's shoulders and says in a hardened tone, "Prince Goku. DEAL with it." Then he lets go and then climbs down to the first floor of the tree house by the ladder.  
  
Goku just gapes at the spot where the ouji was, in numb shock. Shakily, he looks at his small belongings sprawled all over the room, then he grabs his leather bag and carefully collects his precious items into the bag, still in disbelief, trying to deny what's going on around him.  
  
Once he gets downstairs the reality hits him as he stares at a blank room. All the furniture is gone, no doubt packed up into capsules. Goku peeks outside and sees that all their cooking stuff is gone, too. He says in a hushed tone, "I guess we can't pack up the house."  
  
A teenager's voice says, "Can't calibrate a frickin' tree into a capsule."  
  
Goku turns back and glares at the demi-saiyajin spitefully, "This was all your doing, wasn't it?!"  
  
Trunks smirks, "So what if it was?"  
  
Howling in fury, Goku tries to pounce him, but Vegeta catches his collar in midair, yelling, "Will you stop that?! The decision was mine and mine alone. If I decided to stay here, there wouldn't be a damned thing that Trunks can do about it." With that he drops Goku onto the floor and hoists his own leather bag up onto his shoulder. "I spent last night trying to find a way out of here. We'll have to back track the way I came in through the jungle area and the Quicksand Pits."  
  
With that he jumps out onto a branch outside, and then starts swinging through the trees. Goku quickly follows suit.  
  
Trunks stares at them in disbelief, "Holy cow, they're just like monkeys!" He gingerly hops onto that first branch, but then he loses his balance and yelps, hanging onto it by just a hand. Panting nervously he clambers back onto the branch and looks up to see that Vegeta and Goku are nearly a mile ahead of him. He mutters low to himself, "Aw dammit."  
  
He finally catches up to them about half an hour later, thinking only of making sure they're in sight instead of looking where he's going. He spots them on a long firm branch and sits down next to them, panting, "So, are we taking a break?"  
  
However, the ouji has a confused look on his face, "We passed by here nearly ten times." Trunks looks up and his eyes bulge out, realizing they're right back at where they started at the tree house.  
  
Goku smiles victoriously, "I guess the forest doesn't want us to leave."  
  
The lavender haired teenager gives him a very odd look, "You're talking like it's alive."  
  
The saiyajin snaps, "Of course it's alive! It's been mothering the two of us for as long as I can remember! Whenever our hunt was bad, bears or deer would wander into our camp site! Whenever we got sick medicinal plants would suddenly show up growing on the camp site the next morning! Whenever we needed supplies, random capsules would-"  
  
Trunks rolls his eyes, "Okay! Okay! I got the point!" He turns to the ouji and asks, "So what are you going to do?"  
  
Thinking hard, Vegeta stays silent for a long time. Both teenagers await his deliberation patiently. Until finally, "We need to go to Death Gorge."

* * *

Goku and Trunks stare down in awe at the ominous ravine, holding onto their branches tightly. Meanwhile Vegeta is below them right on the edge of the stony wall, his toes just barely hanging off the side as he leans over to look.  
  
Goku yells, "Daddy! Be careful!"  
  
The demi-saiyajin demands, "How deep is this thing?!"  
  
The other teenager frowns, "I don't know. I was banned from here."  
  
The ouji looks up with a scowl, "You were banned from the Quicksand Pits, too." Goku blushes, somewhat abashed. Looking back down, Vegeta once again feels chills along his spine, but he ignores it and says, "We need to get down there."  
  
Trunks and Goku face fault and yell, "You've got to be kidding me!" simultaneously.  
  
Giving them a dangerous grin, Vegeta salutes them and steps off the side, diving down into the darkness. Trunks stares at the side and moans, then he starts banging his head against the tree trunk. Goku has pretty much the same kind of look on his face. He grabs Trunks' wrist and says, "Come on." Without much enthusiasm the demi-saiyajin nods and together they jump down into the deep abyss.  
  
In milli-seconds they land on rough, rocky ground, having as much impact as if they fell off a small tree. Trunks sits up and blinks, trying to peer through the pitch black, "That was very... odd. I thought the canyon was deeper than this."  
  
Goku stands up and dusts the dirt off of himself, "I guess the darkness was just an illusion. Dad must be right about this place."  
  
A deep voice answers, "Of course I'm right. What do you expect from me?"  
  
Goku mutters, "Sorry Dad. Just wish I can see though."  
  
Suddenly, as if on cue, the whole area lights up like a bulb, an uncertain source emitting a greenish sort of light. The teenage saiyajin blinks, "This is very odd, right Dad?" He gets no answer, so he turns around, "Dad?" There is nothing but a long rocky pathway behind him.  
  
Then Goku starts to panic, "Dad?! Are you there?! Quit hiding! Trunks! You put him up to this, didn't you?!" All at once the light begins to fade out from behind him. The young saiyajin turns around and sees the green light moving away from him, down the path. Then it stops, as if beckoning Goku to follow. He can swear that it's...it's calling his name... Entranced, the saiyajin obliges, moving with the light down the narrow ravine path.  
  
He wanders after the light for a long time, the path ahead seeming to be never ending no matter how far he walked. He begins wondering exactly what happened to the other two.  
  
All at once, Goku smacks right into something. He mutters, "What the-" looking up and around him. It looks as if there's nothing there, but he holds out his hand and feels rough rock under his touch. Biting his lip, he starts to investigate and feels all over the obstruction blocking his hand. Suddenly he feels liquid. Pulling his hand away Goku looks at it and sees water glistening off of his fingers.  
  
He looks back at the path where he just came from. There's something... not right about this place...  
  
_Goku..._ A sweet mellow voice calls out, gaining the saiyajin's attention.  
  
_Goku, come on inside. It's alright._  
  
The voice...He remembers it from a memory of long ago...Such a soothing voice...With a deep breath, the saiyajin feels the edge of the water door. About five by three feet. Without really thinking about it, he holds his breath and goes through, disappearing from sight.  
  
Meanwhile the other two are still completely lost in the dark and oblivious to the fact that Goku is gone.  
  
"Dad, are you sure that there's something here?"  
  
"I'm positive! So quit questioning me!"

* * *

Goku gazes around him in wonder as he seems to be in the middle of a neon green lit cavern of enormous proportions. The eiffel tower could fit inside it with plenty of room to spare. The saiyajin turns around and sees the gateway of water, rippling behind him.  
  
Pools of springs litter the ground like puddles after a rainy day and right in the center of the cave, is a sort of plateau serving as a pedastel, all the green light emanating from something at the top that Goku can't get a clearer view of. His feet lift inches off the ground as he hovers over the pools to the edge of the huge rock, not disturbing the solid reflections of the water, which probably have been that way for thousands of years. Carefully he flies up and peeks over the top, squinting through all the green light.  
  
Suddenly something grabs the back of his collar and he gives a sharp yelp as he's pulled from his position up to the top of the plateau. An ancient voice calls out of nowhere, _Calm down, child. You're alright.  
_  
Goku blinks and looks around for the source of the voice, "Where are you? Who are you?!"  
  
The kindly voice laughs, _I'm right in front of you._  
  
The saiyajin looks forward towards the green light, "Wait a sec, are you..."  
  
_The heart of the forest? Yes, I was created by a sorcerer long, long ago, to keep watch over this forest. I never expected that I would have to take care of sentient beings though._  
  
Goku says awkwardly, "Uh, sorry."  
  
_It's alright. I think I've grown fond of you two. You respect the law of the land, not taking more than you need to, and overall not acting like any of the other baka ningen on the Earth.  
_  
The saiyajin sweatdrops as the voice grated that last part out spitefully.  
  
_In any case, it will be sad to see you go._  
  
Goku frowns, "Wait a sec. I thought you wanted us to stay here. That's why we kept ending up back at the tree house."  
  
_I merely wanted to see you before you left. The teenager feels something similar to an ice cold hand brush his face and he shivers. The voice continues fondly, You've grown so much since you first came. It never ceases to amaze me._  
  
The saiyajin asks numbly, "Um..... So now you've seen me, can I go now?"  
  
The invisible hand withdraws. _Just be patient will you? I have something to give you.  
_  
Goku blinks, "Eh?" Suddenly pain courses through his entire body as the green light reaches out to him and wraps around his body. He screams out in agony as ice cold fire courses through his veins leaving numbness in its wake. The light withdraws and puts the saiyajin gently back down on the ground.  
  
Gasping in pain, the teenager glares up at the light hatefully, "What the hell was that for?!"  
  
_A goodbye present. It is also a matter of inheritance. You should have gotten it before, but it seems to have gotten bungled up with your other personality and the whole spirit form thing. It will be strange at first but you will enjoy it in the end._  
  
Goku quickly looks over his body, seeing nothing different and turn back to the light, demanding, "What did you do to me?!"  
  
_You'll see soon, child.  
_  
Quickly enraged, the saiyajin clambers to his feet, "Who do you think you are, just doing what you'd like with me?! I'm grateful for all you did, but I refuse to be used as a toy!"  
  
Suddenly the voice grows low and dangerous, _Boy, you do NOT want to mess with me. Like the marshlands of this forest I have my bad side, and you don't want to see it.  
_  
Goku smirks, "Yeah, I bet you're hiding it under all that light! You ugly old crone!"  
  
The light gives out an awesome roar of fury, blasting the cavern room with sound waves, bits of rock start to fall from the ceiling. The saiyajin stares up at it in horror and realizes that the light in the cave has turned red and is slowly growing, climbing up to the height of the ceiling. His eyes grow huge as he starts to see the real form of the light. His mouth opens and he screams in terror, running for the widening water gate as fast as he can.  
  
Meanwhile..... Trunks yells, "Dad! We've been wandering around in this stupid canyon for an hour already! Why can't we just call it quits?!"  
  
Vegeta yells, "Will you just be patient?! We're bound to run into something sometime!"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"  
  
Both Trunks and Vegeta snap back towards the sound of the terrible scream with astonishment. Suddenly, someone runs right into them, knocking them right off their feet. With a whole bunch yelps and angry snaps, the group get back on their feet.  
  
The ouji demands, "Prince Goku, what the hell was that for?!"  
  
At once, Goku gives them a quick, nervous explanation, "There was a light! And then you two disappeared! The voice! It- it led me to this cave and I think it electrocuted me or something I don't know! It just said it was a good bye present! Then I got ticked off! The light got ticked off! It turned into this huge gigantic THING! And now I think that it wants to eat me!"  
  
Trunks mutters, "He's gone off his rocker."  
  
Vegeta scowls, "That is the stupidest story that I've ever-"  
  
"RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAROROAOARAOARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The ouji freezes mid-sentence and slowly turns around, a red light coming around the corner of the pathway illuminating the pitch black gorge, sending a crimson glow on everything.  
  
Trunks stares at the light and squeaks out, "It wants to EAT you?" Goku nods his head vigorously.  
  
Vegeta says quickly, "Okay, we are getting out of here!" He grabs both teenagers' hands and then flies them both out of the ravine, just in the nick of time as fire pours out through the ravine path.  
  
Properly singed, the group makes it back up to the top of the ravine and then rest on the side, trying to take in deep breaths to calm themselves after that entire episode. The ouji looks down at Goku and asks, "Do you want to stay in the forest NOW?"  
  
Goku yipes, "Hell no!"  
  
Then behind him Trunks says, "_What a freak, jeez_."  
  
The teenage saiyajin snaps angrily at Trunks, "Hey! Don't call me a freak!"  
  
Trunks blinks, "I didn't say anything!" Then he adds with a voice as clear as day, "_What the hell is wrong with him?_" Only one difference though. His lips didn't move.  
  
Goku's mouth drops and he stares at Trunks in shock. The teenager just frowns at him and asks, "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
The young saiyajin tries to say something, but he only manages to sputter out, "How did you- Or did I? What's going on?!"  
  
Vegeta gives him a worried look. "_Is he that shook up about that light?_" Again, no moving of the lips.  
  
Flabbergasted, Goku falls down onto his butt staring at the two of them with wide-eyes. "I can- I just-"  
  
Suddenly, the ouji blurts out, talking this time, "What's the matter with your eyes?" Both Trunks and Vegeta are staring directly at his face now.  
  
The teenager blinks in confusion, "My eyes? What about them?"  
  
Trunks looks down at his pocket, "Hang on. I think I have a mirror with me." He pulls out a small handheld mirror and hands it to Goku.  
  
Vegeta frowns, "Why the hell do you carry a mirror with you?"  
  
Trunks blushes, "I-"  
  
But before he can say anything, Goku gives a great cry of surprise once he looks at his eyes in the mirror. Both of them have turned a deep bottle ink green.

* * *

Vegeta snaps irritably, "Prince Goku, quit rubbing your eyes!"  
  
"But they're _green_!"  
  
The group works its way through the trees, getting as far away from Death Gorge as possible. Still trailing behind them, Trunks calls out, "At least it's a nice shade! Like bottle ink or something!" just before he slips again and has to regain his balance, getting even further behind them. It's especially difficult trying to keep up since the morning drizzle made the branches all the more slippery.  
  
Goku scowls, "I like my plain old black eyes, thank you very much!"  
  
The lavender haired teenager frowns, thinking, _Jeez, I was just trying to cheer him up._  
  
"Well, you're doing a lousy job at it!"  
  
Trunks yells back, angrily, "Stay out of my head!"  
  
Ahead of the two, Vegeta groans, "I hate having kids."  
  
All at once, they reach the end of the trees, coming upon great rolling plains stretching out as far as the eye can see. Goku stares at it in awe, his new green eyes scanning the bleak horizon. "It's so.....empty....."  
  
Trunks mutters, "You don't get out much, do you." He hops down from the branch and out onto the long tan grass. He instantly bursts super saiyajin and cheers, "Man! I'll never take ki for granted again!"  
  
Vegeta jumps next to Goku's branch and warns, "You better brace yourself." He flies down next to Trunks outside of the edge of Mute Point. At once his famous arrogant smirk comes to his lips and he can't help but blast super saiyajin 2. He yells up at the sky, "God damn! That feels good! At last I feel like I'm me again!"  
  
Trunks says in awe, "Wow, you've gotten really strong in there....."  
  
The ouji smirks, "No wonder it's such a good place to train. Without feeling your ki, it's like you have no boundaries to your own strength. I feel a hundred times more powerful than I ever did after training seven years after Cell."  
  
Goku stares at them, completely clueless at to what they're talking about. Even after Vegeta's long lectures about the subject, he never really understood what _ki_ is. Just that it is like a sixth sense and that he'll never be able to understand without feeling it himself. At least until now. Shaking slightly, he gingerly drops from the branch and reaches out a tentative hand outside of the boundary. All at once, he gets a shock of a lifetime as he feels.....power, pure unbelievable power flowing through his fingertips. He jolts his hand back as if he was just electrocuted, which is indeed what it feels like.  
  
Vegeta smirks, "Are you coming or not?"  
  
Putting on a brave face, Goku clenches his fists and steps out completely, his whole body becoming immersed in the tingling power. After taking several deep, he manages to get over the initial shock and starts to feel the awe that a blind person just given sight would feel. A huge grin comes to his lips when he looks up at Vegeta, "It feels incredible!"  
  
The ouji gives a short chuckle, "I thought you'd like it."  
  
Goku closes his eyes, focusing on just this new sense, "It feels like I'm the most powerful being in the world." Trunks just snickers. The teenage saiyajin opens an eye to give him an odd look and asks, "Dad? What's a universe?"  
  
Vegeta yelps, falling down anime style.  
  
Trunks blinks, "You really do need to get out more."  
  
Goku growls angrily, "I do not suffer from chronic naivety!"  
  
"I told you to stay out of my head!"  
  
Clambering to his feet, the ouji mutters, "You could at least block out other peoples' thoughts."  
  
His son protests, "Well, it's kind of hard to control."  
  
Vegeta sighs and powers down, then floats about a foot above the ground, "We should fly over to West City before it gets dark."  
  
Goku nods, "Okay!" Then he pauses. His eyes widen and he looks down. Then he jumps up in the air only to land squarely on his feet again. Looking up at the ouji, he says nervously, "I think I have a problem....."  
  
Vegeta groans, "Dammit! I should have foreseen this!"  
  
His lavender haired son demands, "What's the matter?"  
  
"He doesn't know how to control his ki."  
  
Trunks blanches, "He can't _FLY_?!"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Trunks looks from Vegeta to Goku back to his father again, "I am NOT carrying him."  
  
Vegeta humphs, "Well if he could fly before, he can fly now." He looks back at Goku and orders, "Now you concentrate some of that power and then push it under your feet."  
  
Goku blinks, "What?"  
  
"NOW!"  
  
The young saiyajin gives a yipe and obeys, closing his eyes and focusing on the task at hand. The ouji and Trunks watch him curiously, when suddenly the ground beneath them begins to shake, knocking the demi-saiyajin off his feet.  
  
Then the earthquake passes just as quickly as it came, leaving only a sweatdropping Goku. He grins sheepishly, "Ah, I guess that didn't go like it was supposed to."  
  
Vegeta and Trunks look at each other. "I'm not carrying him either," his father says quickly.  
  
Trunks sighs, "Well, maybe we can call Kinto'un?"  
  
The teenage saiyajin frowns, "Kinto-what?"  
  
"You'll see." Trunks turns to the sky and yells out, "KINTO'UN!!!"  
  
A small object streamlines the sky from far away, flying faster than a bullet towards the trio. Goku stares in shock as a yellow puffy cloud flies out down the sky in front of him. Trunks does the introductions. "Goku, this is Kinto'un. Kinto'un, you remember Goku, right?"  
  
As a yes, the cloud whizzes around the saiyajin's head and presses up against Goku's chest.  
  
Vegeta says sarcastically, "It must be asking for a hug."  
  
But Goku obliges anyway by petting it. To his surprise it feels solid under his touch. He mutters outloud, "What the-"  
  
The other teenager explains, "You're supposed to ride it."  
  
He gives Trunks an odd look, but he experimentally places a whole knee onto Kinto'un and slowly leans his weight on it. Impatient, Kinto'un pushes under him and Goku lands on it with a soft squish. Amazed, Goku looks around at the cloud in wonder and he grins, "This is so cool!"  
  
Trunks blinks, "Wow Dad, I should congratulate you. You didn't corrupt him."  
  
Vegeta swiftly smacks him over the head.  
  
The teenage saiyajin grabs a bit of the fluff and says to himself, "It feels just like a pillow." Suddenly a massive round of déjà vu hits him. Wide-eyed he looks up at Vegeta and smiles, "Dad! I know this cloud! I remember it!"  
  
Vegeta visibly pales, "What?"  
  
Goku nods, "Yeah! I remember riding on it when I was little!"  
  
Ticked off, Trunks says incredulously, "He doesn't remember me, but he remembers a _CLOUD_?!"  
  
The other teenager says defensively, "Hey, we go far back, don't we, Kinto'un?" The cloud bobs up and down as if agreeing.  
  
Trunks sighs, "Oh whatever. We better get going." He flies up into the air and starts heading across the plains.  
  
Goku whispers to Kinto'un, "Come on, let's race him." Without any more prompting, the cloud revs up and whizzes past the demi-saiyajin. As Goku passes he yells out, "Be seeing ya, Trunks!"  
  
The lavender haired teenager calls out angrily, "Oh no you don't! You're not beating me with a cloud!" He powers up and bursts into speed, racing after Kinto'un and its saiyajin passenger.  
  
Meanwhile, Vegeta is left very far behind, halfheartedly trying to keep up with the two teenagers. In fact, he's more involved in thinking to himself rather than actually paying attention to the two. Thinking about what everything must be like since they left five years ago. About what he can possibly say to Bulma when he gets back home. Home? He has to think about that one. Mute Point had been his and Goku's home for a long five years. It's starting to settle in that he's never actually going to go back there. Then he thinks about the red light and shivers. Yup, he is definitely not going back there again.  
  
He's at the city's edge before he realizes it. Goku is already waving off his cloud and Trunks is waiting patiently by a huge fluorescent sign declaring the words, '_WEST CITY_: HOME OF CAPSULE CORPS.'  
  
Vegeta frowns, landing besides the two, "Let me guess. You lost your car capsule in the forest and we have to walk."  
  
Trunks mutters sheepishly, "Uh, yeah."  
  
Goku demands, "Why can't we fly there?"  
  
The ouji replies, "We'd scare the ningen."  
  
"Well that's their problem!"  
  
Shaking his head, Vegeta smirks and asks, "Can you block out thoughts yet?"  
  
The teenage saiyajin nods, "Well, yeah, but-"  
  
"Okay, then let's go," Trunks says, interupting the other teenager.  
  
Goku glares at him and folds his arms, irritated, but that quickly fades when they start on the sidewalk, slowly coming up to the massive skyscrapers and huge crowds. In awe he stares up at the buildings, nearly knocking into everyone in his path. Until a deafening sound comes to his ears, so loud he tries to block it out by plugging up his ears. But it continues as loud as before.  
  
Like he was _GOING_ to say to Vegeta, he can block out thoughts just fine, but he still hears the sound of the brains at work as they go through the thought process, resulting in very annoying signature hums coming from each mind. But he can still see into other peoples' minds to an extent. By the sound of each brain's hums he can tell what kind of mood the owner is in.  
  
Right now, his dad is extremely nervous. A medium high pitched hum with a quick tempo. Not surprising really. Meanwhile Trunks is much less nervous, but he's more elated and irritated at the same time. No doubt caused by Goku himself. His brain's working at a sort of twisted humming, squeaky at some points and rough at others. Really annoying actually.  
  
Those two he can handle just fine, but a whole city full of the deafening roars of hummings! It's almost too much to bear! All too soon, he gets a pounding headache from it. Vegeta stops and looks back at Goku, his humming decreasing to what sounds like worry. "What's the matter with you?"  
  
Goku gives him a small smile, massaging his temples, "I'll be fine, I just- " Suddenly he spots two creatures walking along their path and he stares at them in shock. They look almost humanoid, but there's something odd about the look of them. He points the two out to his father and asks, "Dad, what's that?"  
  
Vegeta nearly has a cardiac arrest right there.  
  
He screams at the saiyajin in disbelief, "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A **WOMAN **IS?!" gaining the attention of quite a few passerbyers.  
  
Goku blinks, "Oh, is that what they look like?"  
  
The ouji stares at him and goes over to a building, whacking his head against it several times. Everyone watching sweatdrops. Vegeta stops his banging just to send a death glare to them, sending the multitude of people scurrying away. He turns back to the young saiyajin and demands, "How could you possibly have become more naive when you spent nearly FIVE years staying with me?! Couldn't you at least have enough gratitude to know what the heck a frickin' woman is?! You're like an animal that just turned into a saiyajin! What the hell am I supposed to do with you?!"  
  
At once, Goku's stomache growls and he looks up at Vegeta with a sheepish grin, "You could feed me?"  
  
A death glare kills that idea off.  
  
Trunks sweatdrops, "Well, we can go through the fair grounds on the way over to CC."  
  
Vegeta frowns, "Since when did this city have a fair?"

* * *

They soon find themselves in a busy bustling street, teeming with activity, people, and the smells of delicious foods coming from the vending stalls. Row after row of shops and vendors line up the sides of the streets, while people nearly have to fight their way through the crowd.  
  
Pizza, hamburgers, roti, roasted pork ball buns, sugar cakes and sweets, ice cream, chicken kebabs, cinnamon rolls. Goku looks at all the food stalls in wonder and grins, "Ohh, I'm in Heaven..." He takes a deep breathe and starts salivating at all the smells of the cooking. He starts to go teary eyed with joy, "It all smells so good! I wanna get something from everyplace!"  
  
The ouji sweatdrops, "Why can't you just pick one?"  
  
Trunks frowns, "I feel very reluctant pulling out my credit card for this."  
  
Just then, a new crowd of shopping tourists comes in between Goku and the other two royals, separating them. Irritated, Vegeta has to wait for the dumb tall foreigners to pass to see Goku again. Only to see, when the last tall American has passed, that Goku isn't there anymore. The ouji looks around in horror. He's gone from sight. He curses loudly, "Dammit!"  
  
Meanwhile, Goku is passing by the different vendors looking at them all in wonder. They seem to project a sort of golden halo around them. Completely mesmerized, Goku wanders up to a small bakery to look at the all the goodies and sweets. A middle aged female vendor walks out from behind a thin curtain and asks, "Hello? Can I help you?"  
  
Thinking quickly, Goku looks up at her and says, "Feed me," in a completely childish manner. Meanwhile he thinks, _Come on! You know you want to! I'm just a little kid! Just a normal little kid who wants to be fed. Oh please! I'm so hungry!_  
  
The vendor frowns, "Don't you have money?"  
  
The young saiyajin blinks and shakes his head.  
  
"Well where are your parents?"  
  
Goku says in an innocent voice, "I don't have a mommy and I lost my daddy around here somewhere."  
  
The vendor's heart melts and she says sympathetically, "Oh you poor dear. Why don't you just stay here until your daddy comes and finds you?" She takes something from the display case and gives it to Goku, "Here you can have a cookie in the meantime."  
  
The saiyajin's eyes light up and he takes the cookie, bowing respectfully to the vendor first, "Thank you very much."  
  
"You're very welcome." She leads Goku to the back of the bakery and says, "Why don't you stay in here and rest a little."  
  
Goku chirps, "Okay!" sitting down in one of the empty chairs among the cookie pans and other machinery.  
  
The vendor smiles thinking, _He's such an adorable kid. He can't possibly be any older than six though. He's just much too short and so incredibly naive. In fact, he really does look about only five.  
_  
Unbeknownst to either the vendor or Goku, the saiyajin is casting a psychic image over the vendor's mind, his psyche spurned on by his hunger and to her he looks exactly the age of a five year old kid, sitting in a chair much too big for him, when in fact it is too small, enjoying his cookie, when Goku actually already finished it.  
  
Goku glances at all the odd machinery and asks, "What's all this stuff?"  
  
The vendor looks over at bunch of metallic appliances, "Oh this is all just stuff I use for baking." She points to a paritcular one, "Like that one is especially for brownies."  
  
That's when Goku sees an ominous looking machine right next to him. More to the point, he sees a five foot long blade attached to it. His blood runs cold and he thinks, _Sword! It's a sword!  
_  
Without another word he jumps from the chair and runs out of the shop.  
  
The vendor yells after him, "Hey! Come back! You need to wait for your dad!" But the saiyajin is already gone. The girl frowns with worry, "I hope he'll be okay." She looks back at the machine, "But why in the world was he so afraid of a brownie cutter?"  
  
Meanwhile Trunks and Vegeta are still looking for the lost saiyajin, when suddenly Goku whizzes right past him, heading over into the other end of the fair grounds. Vegeta curses, "DAMMIT!!!" And runs after.  
  
They finally find Goku over next to an Okonomiyaki stand. The vendor is a very gruff looking bearded man, who is currently glaring at the young saiyajin in an extremely annoyed manner, "Look kid, just go away! If you don't have any money, you're not going to get any food!"  
  
Goku frowns, asking seriously, "What the heck is _money_?"  
  
Slowly shaking his head in disbelief, Vegeta makes his way over to the stand at least partially relieved that he has Goku in his sights once more. The vendor eyes the ouji warily as he comes up to Goku and puts a hand on the young saiyajin's shoulder. "Prince Goku, let's go. I have a few things to explain to you."  
  
The vendor's eyes widen with surprise before narrowing into suspicion filled slits. "Oh come on! You can't pull that lame act with me!"  
  
Vegeta glances up at the greasy giant and says in an even voice, "Excuse me? What _act_?"  
  
"Trying to pretend that you're _royalty_ of course!" the vendor roars indignantly. "You're trying to get me to grovel before you and humbly beg your forgiveness and offer you free food! I don't think so you freeloaders! I can see right through you! I can't even fathom how you can think you can get away with it! You make the sorriest royalty I have ever seen!"  
  
The elder ouji watches the vendor with an even expression, his face not showing the slightest emotion of what was going on through his mind. Then slowly his hand begins to rise.

* * *

"You didn't really have to blow the whole place up!" Trunks yells in frustration. The three of them are walking away from the site of total deustruction where the food market once stood. Luckily no one had gotten hurt in the massive attack, even the vendor, though he's currently being rushed to the hospital.  
  
The prince merely humphs, "What he said was completely uncalled for. He's lucky I let him live."  
  
"You can't go killing people!"  
  
"Stop being so human about it!"  
  
"HELLO! YOU LIVE ON A PLANET FILLED WITH HUMANS!!" Trunks finally screeches back. Everyone on the busy street watches the trio walking away briskly from the commotion coming from the fair.  
  
Goku is just about to argue back, when a hand on the shoulder makes him turn around.  
  
Vegeta gives his son a lethal glare. "If I didn't counter your attack the whole city would be blown to kingdom come."  
  
The young prince starts to pout, "But DadEE! I couldn't just let him get away with that! That's what you said!"  
  
"Peers can't get away with it! Sniveling little ningen who aren't even worth your time can! Learn a little control!" Vegeta turns from him, trying to look as cross as possible. Yet he feels elated that Goku would do something like that. Goku, who is feeling his father's aura, is completely confused by the contentment he's sensing.  
  
The purple haired teenager sighs, "Look just don't blow anything up anymore! We're in civilization! You can't just go blowing anything you want up! It's just not done!"  
  
Goku merely sighs in resignation, folding his hands behind his head. "I liked it better in the forest. Nobody cared if I killed an animal."  
  
"People aren't animals, Goku," Trunks says with a growl, very irritated.  
  
"That's Prince Goku to you!" the teenage saiyajin sneers automatically. Suddenly his face goes blank as he considers his half-brother's statement. "Why?"  
  
Both Vegeta and Trunks fall to the ground, twitching.

* * *

Goku's eyes are wide – wider than they had ever been in years – and his jaw is gaping as he stares at what is supposedly Trunks' home. The yellow capped dome seems even higher than a mountain to him, although the small lumps in Mute Point could hardly compare to any real mountains.  
  
The young prince takes a tentative step towards the monstrous building, almost afraid the giant thing will swallow him whole if he comes any nearer. A sudden slap on the back, gets a small shriek out of him, which is soon followed by laughter. "It's not going to eat you, brat."  
  
Goku's cheeks puff up indignantly as he walks behind his father. Trunks, meanwhile, is buzzing excitedly in front of them about their arrival at civilization. Actually, it was more like only Vegeta's arrival. "Man, Mom is going to be so freaked out once she finds out you're alive! We can have a huge party just for you, Dad! Well, I know you don't really like parties, but everyone's gonna want to see you again! We can have all your favorite food there too! I don't think that you've had any caviar in that rundown old forest. Maybe you had some-"  
  
"Boy, we didn't even have salt," Vegeta growls irritably.  
  
At that Trunks' eyes widen, "No _SALT_?! Wow, you really had been roughing it. Not even any new clothes I bet." His eyes travel over his father's blue training uniform that had endured many rough years of training and the elements of weather. Suprisingly it was still in decent shape.  
  
Goku, on the other hand, has all his clothes made entirely from leather. His old gi could hardly fit him anymore once he started growing, even this set of clothes, which he made for himself a year ago, is already starting to seem a bit too tight.  
  
"Good food and new clothes is the first order of business then," the teenager says with a determined nod. The trio suddenly stop, right in front of the blue front door. The young saiyajin watches his father and step- brother just standing there, not making the slightest move towards the door handle. Why are they staying so still?  
  
Then it hits him. Bulma! Bulma's inside there. Goku can hardly believe it. For years his father had told him stories about the woman, about the wonderful lady, so much so that it felt whenever he did, she was right there, next to them, holding Goku in a protective embrace just as a mother would. He is actually going to meet her!  
  
A hesitation comes to him, what if the woman he always dreamed about isn't what he expected. What she's mean and terrible. What if she hates him? A feeling of dread just as overpowering as his excitement, leaves him in a state of numbness, as he battles in his mind whether to run in the door or to run away. No doubt, Vegeta is feeling just the same thing. And Trunks...he's worried that his mother will not take his father's return so well...  
  
Run in? Or run away? All three of them just stay there wondering what to do.  
  
Their inner battles abruptly end, when the blue door suddenly swings open.

* * *


	88. The Tests

AN: Sorry! I'm sorry!

* * *

Goku's green eyes widened as he watches the figure in the door appear and he can almost feel himself go slack. Bulma is everything that he imagined! Beautiful blue eyes, silky hair tied back into a ponytail, an inviting face that's currently contorted in shock, but that was forgivable. And Goku can definitely tell where Trunks got his looks from! 

Before anyone gets a word in (Goku especially didn't want Turnks to ruin his first impression), he steps up to Bulma, a shy blush on his face and he starts speaking rather quickly.

"Um... Konnichiwa Bulma-san. You don't really know me, but my dad told me all about you! By the way, I'm Ximitar Goku, Vegeta's son, but you can call me Goku! Well, Ximi's okay, too, but I don't really use it that much. Boy, you really look nice and you're not so distorted as the others I've seen so far. You have no idea how much I wanted to meet you! But Dad and I both thought you were dead. And he told me so, so many stories about you! Is it okay if I hug you?"

The fast talking blows over his audience, taking it a few seconds to register what Goku just said, while the young saiyajin anxiously waits for Bulma to actually say something.

Vegeta's face changes from one of shock, then of anger, then to one of absolute mortification. Meanwhile, Trunks starts to turn red, holding a hand to his mouth, his shoulders shaking as if he's choking.

Confused, Goku's eyebrows knit together as he looks around at the two of them. "What's the matter? What did I do? Dad?" he questions his father who can't even look at him in the eye properly.

Finally Trunks can't take it anymore. "Goku, you IDIOT!" He shrieks with laughter and falls down to the ground. "That's Mirai!!"

Goku's body goes rigid and he slowly pulls away from the very wide eyed counterpart of Trunks. "Oh no..." he moans weakly.

"Oh no! It's okay!" Mirai says quickly, putting his hands on Goku's shoulders. "It was an honest mistake! Maybe the long hair confused you!" He looks up at Vegeta and wonders, Good lord, have you never gone over sex-ed with him?

Goku mutters, "I heard that."

"Prince Goku, stop mind reading!" Vegeta snaps.

Suddenly Mirai snorts, "I can't believe you're still calling him Prince Goku?" Before the eldest saiyajin can give an angry retort, Mirai shoves himself against his father and hugs him. "I can't believe you're still alive."

Goku twitches. Okay, this is the second person that gets to hug his father like that. Calm down. It's probably a rare thing. But he can't just hug his father like that! Suddenly he finds himself embraced by the same arms. "You have no idea how much I missed you too, Goku."

The young prince blushes, any resentment vanishing like smoke. "Uh..." he says intelligently.

"Anyway," Mirai lets him go, leaving Goku in a state of shock. "Come in! Both of you! Mom's been going absolutely crazy since Trunks called."

Mirai moves to enter, when Vegeta suddenly grabs him by the bicep. "Wait. Mirai. Your mother's still..." He lets the question hang.

His eldest frowns for a moment, trying to decipher it. But then, "Ohh...No, don't worry about that. But ChiChi..."

"Holy crap, you're joking!" Vegeta laughs out loud. "Well, somebody we know would be pissed off if he..." and he lets it hang again , letting he, Trunks, and Mirai snicker about it.

"...You're taking advantage of my ignorance aren't you?" Goku mutters darkly.

"Got that right," Trunks says with a smile.

Mirai leads them into living room, that hasn't changed at all to Vegeta's relief and disbelief, where they can see a mountain of food on the coffee table along with a massive amount of decorations. And there's one rather large lumpy sign that seems to be moving of its own accord.

"Mom?" Trunks says. At once the lump is replaced with a head and torso. Goku sees the distorted form that is woman again, but is struck dumb by the frighteningly familiar blue eyes. "Vegeta?" she whispers taking those eyes off of him and onto his father. "Vegeta!" she shrieks and jumps over the coffee table right into Vegeta's arms. "Oh god! Vegeta!"

"Bulma," he whispers, holding her close and gently. Gods, she hasn't changed at all save a few gray hairs and a couple laugh lines. She's still as beautiful as ever. Relief and pure ecstasy fill him as he presses his nose into her hair. And she's still wearing that same god-awful perfume.

Goku restlessly plays with his foot against the carpet, keeping his eyes averted from the inevitable make out. He's never actually seen it, but after his father's description of it, it sounds like the most vulgar thing in the world. He peeks upwards for a second, only to look straight back down at the green carpet again this time with his face as red as a ripe tomato. Oooh yeah, that does NOT look pretty.

Mirai laughs, "Get a room you two."

Goku peeks upwards again, this time seeing Bulma stare at him with tear struck eyes. "Oh Son-kun! I missed you, too!" She grabs him and plants a nice wet one right on his lips. Goku stares at her, his jaw dropping in shock, and he suddenly chokes and starts feeling faint.

His father quickly catches him before he falls to the floor and brings him over to the couch. "Onna! This is your fault!"

"My fault?!" she shrieks, instinctively taking to the defensive.

"He's not used to intimate contact! You just put him into shock!"

"You never said anything like that! And if it put him into shock then why didn't you stop yourself from flinging yourself at me before!"

Vegeta's jaw drops in exasperation, "WHAT?! I did not fling myself at you!"

"You did too!"

They pull themselves into the inevitable argument, with Trunks and Mirai watching on the standby. Trunks merely smiles at the yelling couple. "They got back to their old habits so quickly."

"Yeah, it's nice," Mirai says bemusedly.

* * *

"Son-kun, you sure you're alright?" Bulma asks gently, laying a hand on Goku's bicep. 

The young saiyajin just makes a nervous laugh, "I'm fine, really." He pulls away from her and pays more attention to the food that's in front of him. For the past five years his diet consisted of only plain rice and roasted meat. Pork buns, pizza, noodles, cakes! Oh gods the cakes! Goku gives a goofy smile of delight as he reaches for yet another one of those newly discovered flavors. He doesn't care what anybody says, but he's in paradise.

"Goku! Leave some of those for the others!" Trunks growls, finding yet another thing to harp on him with.

Okay, maybe it's not quite paradise. "I told you, it's Prince Goku to you!" Goku snaps, defiantly wolfing down the last Black Forest cake. He hands the rest of the cakes on the plate to his father. "Here you go, Dad. I'm sure you missed it." He smirks at the glare his half-brother sends him.

Vegeta sweatdrops, especially when Bulma starts glaring at him. "This is not my fault, onna!"

The woman genius sighs and says to her son, "Trunks, stop antagonizing Son-kun. He's just a little confused and very fond of cake." She smiles at Goku again, "Alright, you better finish up soon. I want to start testing you right away."

Both Vegeta and Goku suddenly choke on their food, "Testing?!"

Bulma says defensively, "Well I have to do it before his family gets here tomorrow!"

"But what are you testing him for?!" the eldest prince demands. However, Goku's mind gets stuck on the words 'his family'. What? But isn't this his family?

"You've said it yourself, Vegeta. He's bone scrawny! I want to figure out why! I also want to test this psychic ability of his and to inspect his eyes."

Before Vegeta can retort, he suddenly freezes in his chair and looks towards the direction of the door. "We have company," he mutters darkly, setting aside his food and getting up.

Mirai gets up as well. "It must be Gohan! I knew he wouldn't be able to wait until tomorrow."

"Well, I am going to get rid of him," Vegeta declares, heading towards the front door.

"Vegeta! Don't you dare!" Bulma yells.

Goku looks at the lot of them, wondering in confusion why the heck this is such a big deal.

His father storms over to the door and opens it. Instantly his anger is replaced by shock when he doesn't see the teenager he was expecting but...a full grown man, who looks a hell lot like his father! with the exception of the hair and the glasses...and the suit.

Behind his gold rimmed glasses, Gohan's eyes widen as he takes in a very old sight. "Vegeta? Holy cow! You haven't changed a bit! Where's my dad?" he asks quickly.

Vegeta shakes away his shock quickly and growls, "No-" only to get cut off when Mirai pushes him aside.

"Sorry dad," he says with an apologetic smile. "Gohan! Your father's right in here, but-"

Only he gets cut off when Gohan unapologetically pushes him aside as well and he rushes to the living room. "Dad!" His eyes quickly scan the room, only to light upon Goku instantly. "Oh my god..." he whispers, eyes wide, taking in his much changed father.

Goku squints his green eyes at him, suddenly getting the feeling that he's seen this person before. Before he can really think on it, for the third time that day, he's suddenly embraced by a complete stranger and drawn into a very, very, very close hug.

"Oh my god, Dad! I can't believe it's you!" Gohan cries out in muffled sobs as he lifts his much shorter father off the ground in his hug.

Almost instantly Goku bolts out of the embrace. "HOLD IT! What?! Who the heck are you?! And are you nuts?! You're older than I am!"

Gohan can only blink, stunned by his father's behavior. "Dad?" He quickly gets pulled to the side by Mirai.

"Hey, I tried to warn you!" Mirai says in a hushed tone. "He can't remember you. Your dad has amnesia. Plus he thinks that my dad's HIS father."

"...Say WHAT?!" Gohan nearly cries out.

"Yeah, we're all kind of shocked by that one," the purple haired demi admits. "But look, my dad's really, really protective of him, so it's not going to be easy to um...actually talk with him 'properly'."

Gohan turns and sends Vegeta a glare. "Oh?" he says bitterly.

Mirai whispers, "Look. You can't really blame him. Goku was the only thing in the world my dad had for the past five years. They were bound to get attached to each other. Plus I think my dad's a little off his rocker from the isolation because he actually believes that Goku's his biological son."

"...Wow."

"Just mince your words around your dad, or else my father's going to go ballistic on you." Already the two see Vegeta by Goku's side, trying to make sense of the intense confusion that Gohan presented.

"Look, he's just a whack-job. Don't listen to a word that he says," Vegeta says in a deadly serious tone, pointing over to the two conspiring demi's.

Trunks says indignantly, "Dad! Quit encouraging it!"

Vegeta merely smacks him one over the head. "Quiet!"

Sighing, Bulma shakes her head and pulls Goku away from all the chaos. "Come on. Now's a good a time as any to start your check-up."

Gohan says quickly, "I'm coming too!" and follows the two to Bulma's medical lab. Vegeta, glaring at the Son, quietly follows as well.

* * *

Bulma's blue eyes scan the results of the quick carbon and protein scan. "Well, your body seems to be perfectly fine. With the exception of the very dense muscle mass that you have. That imperfection must still be at work then. But when you're around oh...16 or 17, your muscles should start to show properly. 

She takes out a small flash light and shines it straight into Goku's green eyes. "And your eyes seem normal as well. The only change is the color of your iris'. Why did this forest spirit change them again?"

Goku shrugs, "I have no idea. Maybe she just wanted to make some sort of taint. Said it had something to do with my heritage though."

Bulma sends a glance over to Gohan and Vegeta. "You've seen this Bardock guy right? Did he have green eyes?"

The prince scowls, "I never heard of Bardock."

"Oh that's flat out denial!" Gohan snaps at him. "But to answer your question, Bulma, he had black eyes like the rest of us."

"That's odd," Bulma mutters, flashing that annoying light in Goku's eyes again. After a sigh, "Well, it's all normal there. I already collected your blood and the labs should be done with the DNA report by tonight. There's just one thing that I want to test now. Your psychic ability."

Almost immediately, a wry, evil smile works its way onto Bulma's face, easily scaring Goku into scooching a bit further away from her. "I've never had a psychic test subject before!" she laughs like a woman possessed.

Beads of nervous sweat form at the back of Goku's head as moves even further away from the excited scientist. What the heck is she going to do? Cut his head open?!

"Onna," Vegeta says irritably, "exactly how are you planning to investigate it? The most you can possibly do is poke around it."

Bulma just sighs, "Oh Vegeta." Then she pulls Goku over to a large machine over in the furthest corner of the lab. "I haven't been able to use this machine yet. I got it about three years ago to test out mental capacities and I think it applies in this situation."

She brings out two white discs and a large set of what looks like glasses both connected to the machine by thin wires. "Put on the optical moniter and put those neural scanners on each temple," she orders while moving to start up the machine. Frowning, Goku puts on the delicate equipment and peers through the dark lenses. "Right!" Bulma declares when the instrument's completely fired up. "Now Goku just relax and start using that psychic ability of yours."

Vegeta looks at her in alarm. "He can't do that!"

Gohan grins, "Why not? Afraid that he'll find out the truth?"

"You've gotten very bitter haven't you?" the prince sneers. "I thought that I shouldn't expect that kind of tone out of the one who abandoned us five years ago." Gohan stares at him and shuts his mouth.

"HEY!" Bulma yells. "Don't you try to pull that over Gohan! He's suffered enough self-guilt as it is!"

Gohan however, remains quiet, unable to look at Vegeta in the eye. Goku just frowns at the three of them. It seems that confusion is going to be his main mindset for a while.

The prince sighs, "Fine. Whatever. Let him use his new 'powers'. I'm not afraid of him finding out the truth. He already knows what it is." He nods at his son and ruffles his hair. "Prince Goku, you go ahead. It may be a bit confusing for you though. But it's only this once that you're allowed to read minds." Then he turns to leave.

"Where are you going?" Bulma asks.

"Me?" the prince smirks. "I'm going to go and find my other sons."

Gohan watches him leave warily and looks over to his father, who reflects his stare almost angrily. "I'm going to go after Vegeta," he says suddenly and leaves Goku and Bulma alone together.

The scientist clucks her tongue and then smiles at her subject. "All right! Shall we get started?"

Out in the hall, after a couple bounds Gohan catches up with the prince and yells, "Vegeta! Wait!" Vegeta pauses and turns, crossing his arms as the demi walks up next to him. "Vegeta, I'm..." Gohan sighs, "Vegeta, I'm sorry. It's all my fault, I know. I shouldn't have just left you and- And I'm treating you like you're the bad guy here and it's not right. So, I'm sorry. And I guess that um..."

Gohan sighs, "I guess that what I'm trying to say is that you'd make a good grandfather."

Vegeta blanches, "WHAT?!"

At once a wry smirk comes onto Gohan's face, "You know Vegeta, if you're keeping up with this my father's your son thing, you have to realize what that makes me."

"...Oh dear gods..." Vegeta mutters, weakly walking towards someplace to sit. "I'm too young to be a grandfather."

"Well..." Gohan says slyly, "I don't want to burst your bubble, but you may be a great-grandfather soon, too."

At which point, Vegeta trips and falls.

"You sure that you want to keep calling my dad your son?" Gohan asks innocently, leaning over the fallen prince.

"Oh! I see what you're trying to do now," Vegeta growls as he swiftly gets back to his feet. "You're trying to get me to say that Prince Goku isn't my son!"

"No," Gohan answers just as quickly. "Just not your biological son. If you feel he's like your spiritual son I can understand perfectly."

"He IS my son, you brat!" Vegeta snaps. "I can't understand it myself and I don't know how it happened. But he is mine!"

"That's just insane! What about Bardock then?!"

"I don't know!" the prince yells back. "There! You happy?! But just because they look alike doesn't mean they're necessarily related! I've heard about this Turles before, you can't deny that!"

"But what about the age difference! You were only a child when my dad was born!"

"ENOUGH! I won't stand for this!" Vegeta storms off as if to get away from the questions that have been plaguing his own mind for the past two years.

Gohan huffs in annoyance and yells after him. "This also makes my mother your daughter-in-law!!" Then he smiles at the horrible screams of mental agony coming from down the hall.

* * *

Bulma carefully puts the instruments away and smiles down at her subject. "You feeling okay?" 

Goku stares at the area in front of him in a daze. "I have never been so confused in my life."

His long time friend merely pats him on the head. "It'll be okay, Son-kun."

"Hey! Now I know what you mean by that!" Goku says excitedly. "At first I thought you said that because you wanted to call me 'son' but now it's just because it used to be my last name." He sighs, "There goes that intimate nickname."

Bulma says quickly, "Oh, Goku, I don't mind calling you my son. Hell, I feel responsible for you ALL the time. I mean ChiChi would always call me and she talked about everything you did and that just didn't help anything. But Goku, you just have to understand that your version of reality is just a bit confused."

Goku frowns. "What about my dad's version of reality?"

"...I'd say he's even more confused than you are," Bulma mutters. "Anyway, your results should be done in a couple minutes."

"So...you really don't think that I'm my father's real son."

Sighing, Bulma plops down next to Goku on her lab table. "To tell you the truth, I don't know. It doesn't seem possible, but I've hardly ever seen Vegeta so convinced about anything in his life. And besides," she says with a wry smile, "weirder things have happened." Then the machine starts to spew papers. "Oh great! I forgot to put the paper tray on it!"

Grumbling, she kneels down on the floor and starts gathering the papers. Then she happens to glance at one of them. Suddenly, it seems as if her entire body goes cold and rigid. "Bulma-san? Are you okay?"

"Goku," she whispers, "a weirder thing has just happened right now."

* * *

"What are you trying to say, onna?!" Vegeta demands. 

Everyone is gathered in Bulma's lab that night, trying to decipher her words about the big news. Goku hangs back over next to his father, his behavior almost subdued.

"Look," she says in frustrated excitement, "Goku's creative, analytical and overall mental capacity potential has skyrocketed! It must be for his brain to accomadate this new power that he has!"

"Speak English, Bulma!"

"Or saiyago," Goku puts in weakly.

Bulma pulls the young prince over to her and plants her hands on his shoulders from behind him. "Goku, our dear, sweet, somewhat naïve Son Goku, has the makings to be a child protégée."

"...Of what?" Trunks demands.

"Of anything he wants! That's the point! He can memorize the entire unabridged version of Webster's Dictionary in seconds if he wants to!"

"If he knew how to read English," Vegeta mutters, staring at Goku as if he's never seen him before.

"He could learn how to do that in an instant!" Bulma says excitedly. "It's absolutely amazing!" Then she adds smugly, "Obviously it comes from MY side of the family."

"Onna," Vegeta growls warningly.

Bulma brushes the remark aside. "All right, all right. Forgive my wishful thinking."

"Ximi," the prince says, looking over at his stunned son.

"Since when did you stop with the Prince Goku?!" Goku yelps in surprise.

Vegeta nods over to Trunks, "I finally had him unhypnotise me. But are you alright with this...new development?"

"Don't really have a choice, do I?" Goku mutters ruefully.

Gohan smiles, "But this is great news! You can accomplish anything that you want to! I'm sure that you'll love it in the end."

"Yeah," Goku sighs, then moves to leave.

"Dad?" his son calls after him.

"Just leave him alone," Vegeta says in warning, glaring at his 'grandson'. "He never even wanted to come here in the first place."

"You couldn't have just stayed there that whole time!" Trunks objects, his anger rising. "And why are you worrying about what he's thinking all the time?!"

"Cool it, Chibi!" Mirai says, slapping his hand on his counterpart's shoulder.

"I thought that he would be happy with it," Bulma sighs, staring at the space where Goku was. Suddenly the phone rings, startling the lot of them. The scientist picks it up and says, "Hello?...Yes...Oh my god...Yes, send it over right now!" She slaps down the phone and nearly runs to her fax machine.

"Mom, what's going on?" Trunks demands.

"I just got the DNA results from the lab!" Bulma says in a rush. Her fax begins to whir and fire up, spitting out three papers into the tray. She flips through them quickly coming upon the desired images. "Oh my god..."

"What is it?" Gohan says in alarm, warning bells going off in his head. Especially when Vegeta gives him a smug grin.

"W-well," Bulma stutters, "I'm not pretending that I know h-how saiyajin DNA works, I mean, it could be completely different than what- we expect and-"

"Enough with the babbling, onna," Vegeta smirks. "Just tell them what I already know."

"Just give me a moment to recover!" his mate snaps. After a long pause, she finally works it up and says slowly, "Goku's DNA has 13 alleles in common with Vegeta's."

* * *

AN: Oh man, that took WAY too long to update. I hope that you guys enjoyed this! 


	89. The Tale of Unrequitted Love

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will

AN: Huh...Well, I'm feeling a little irritated from a review I got. I can understand if you guys are annoyed if I don't update often, but I DO have my reasons for not being able to update. It's not like I mean to torment you! –sighs- Well, that's all that I want to say. Since I have some free time and I'm not under undue stress due to the IB program and colleges and I haven't had any bomb threats from terrorists lately... Here's another chapter of Incidences of Madness.

)))))ooooo(((((

At midnight, when everyone was already asleep, Vegeta sneaks up to the roof of Capsule Corps where he finds his son staring out at the starless sky of West City, never moving from the spot since he had retreated hours before from Bulma's lab. The city lay out before them like a bed of stars, the huge field of lights nearly extending to the horizon. Truly massive, it over-awed the young saiyajin, whose face is cast in the dim light from below.

Without a word the elder prince kneels by him and tosses a small handkerchief wrapped package onto his lap. Blinking down at the package, Goku opens it and finds two large oniigiri sake and one oniigiri ume leftover from the dinner they had without him. "Thanks," Goku mumbles and begins to eat. Nothing more is said until he finishes and even a long time after that. When the words do some, they seem to struggle past Goku's lips, timid and unsure. "I – I don't know who I am anymore, Dad. This morning... I was just Prince Goku. Now I'm suddenly an insanely intelligent super genius father with psychic powers who used to be 50 years old or something and who may or may not even be your son."

"You are." Goku looks up at the prince with a start. "They're having a hard time accepting the fact that you're my son. They just received proof of it right after you left. Real proof. Gohan collapsed on the floor when he heard. He hasn't woken up since then," he adds with a scowl of disdain.

The younger saiyajin snorts and then expectedly bursts into fits, laughing at the idea of the bottle eyed dweeb fainting dead away. Vegeta glared at him in annoyance. "Oh you go ahead and laugh! But now I have him for a grandson! I'm too young to be a grandfather!" The declaration only makes the nearly-suffocating saiyajin choke on even more laughter. The prince just sulked.

"Oh Dad," Goku says in exasperation, when he finally had enough control of himself. "Don't worry about it. They're simply going to have to accept I'm not the Goku that they know anymore. I'm Prince Ximitar Goku."

"It's supposed to be Prince Vegeta Ximitar," Vegeta mutters, sitting down next to the boy. "There was never supposed to be a Prince Goku in the official name. Then on Bejito-sei, you would have simply been known as Prince Vegeta to the rest of the commoners. Now... it's a bit more complicated. Depending on the situation I could call you Ximi, Goku, Vegeta or even Kakarot."

The younger saiyajin blinks. "Kaka-what?"

All is quiet for a while.

"Never mind. It's ancient history." But then unexpectedly, Vegeta stands up as he feels a very familiar ki approach them. "Ximi, go inside," he whispers harshly.

"Dad, what-"

"Don't question me now," Vegeta snaps, looking over at the young teenager. "Just go to my room. It has your things in there already." Goku stares at his father for a moment, wishing that he's allowed to read what is going on in his mind. But what he can feel is...concern? "NOW!" his father yells again, his eyes trained above the city. Reluctantly, Goku nods and goes into the window of the highest floor to search out his father's room.

Meanwhile, Vegeta stands ready to face the visitor. The wind makes the newcomer's cape flutter gently as his soft boots pad on the roof of Capsule Corps not five feet away from Vegeta. The prince smirks, "Piccolo." The Nameck stares back, though it seems that is completely unfazed by the prince's sudden return from the dead.

"Vegeta," he replies, in the exact same curt tone as the saiyajin.

"Should I even ask what brings you here?"

Making a small huff, Piccolo glares at the saiyajin. "We all felt two monstrously large ki ever since this morning. The other warriors have gathered at the Lookout to prepare for battle while I scouted ahead."

Already amused by the Nameck's reference to those pathetic humans as _warriors_, Vegeta sighs with a mocking shake of the head. "You make such a subtle scout. Good job."

"I knew it was you from the beginning," the green fighter twitches, suddenly not so enthusiastic about the prince's return. "But I wasn't going to say anything to the others until I made sure."

"And the verdict?"

"You're the same asshole as before."

Vegeta smirks widely. "Damn right."

Not amused, Piccolo grates out, "Vegeta what about Son? I know that he's the one downstairs, so answer me straight."

The prince's smirk falls instantly, "Nameck, I don't want it getting out that he's their precious Goku. He's not. Bulma and I already decided that he is to pose as my half human son."

"What kind of reasoning is that!" Piccolo demands, his ire flaring as he clenches his fists.

Hn. As if that's intimidating, Vegeta thinks holding back a derisive snort. "...Would you like to see?"

In a moment, the two are outside of the prince's door, Vegeta knocking lightly on the wood. A young voice comes through startling the Nameckian warrior. "Come in!" When they enter, Piccolo is further assaulted by the sight of a young boy on the floor, wearing the prince's clothes, namely the navy blue spandex suit and armor which are almost loose on his ridiculously jaunt frame. In hand is a large, dry clay slate, encrypted in strange markings. Goku blinks and looks up at Piccolo with eyes as green as his own skin. There is no recognition in his eyes as he blurts out, "Dad, he's green!"

Vegeta snickers at Piccolo's speechless mouth, turning to the young saiyajin and pulling him to his feet. "Kakarot, this is Piccolo. He tried to kill you when you were a child."

Goku blanches, while Piccolo glares at the prince in irritation. "VEGETA!"

"I'm just ruining your first impression," the prince says with an innocent expression that should NEVER belong on his face. He lays a hand on Goku's shoulder and says, "Actually, green bean here will be your psychic sensei."

"Say WHAT!" the two of them exclaim simultaneously.

"You need to learn how to control these powers of yours, Ximi, and the cucumber is probably the best teacher that you can find."

Frowning in confusion, Goku begins to ask, "Wait...Is he a cucumber or a green-"

Piccolo twitches and interrupts the boy before he can make a fool of himself. "Vegeta, I'm flattered, but Goku doesn't have the mental capacity to-"

"He does now."

"But when can we-"

"We'll move up to the Lookout with you."

Grimly, the Nameck's lips thin as he regards the...mandate as a business deal. "...This is going to cost you," he finally says when he's done pondering.

"Fresh spring water imported from the Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto."

...There isn't much else that a Nameck can say to that. "Done!"

Goku frowns at the exchange, while Vegeta starts to shoo the warrior from the room. "Go on, Cucumber-"

"So, he IS a cucumber!" the younger boy exclaims.

"-you should report back to those faithful _warriors_ on the Lookout," the saiyajin no ouji continues, casting an entertained look at the young boy. With a look that threatened to grow worse with each passing second, Piccolo slammed the door as he left.

"So..." Goku starts once they are both alone, "did you tell Bulma-san we're moving?"

At that, Vegeta keeps his face carefully blank.

)))))ooooo(((((

In only half an hour, Piccolo had rounded up the confused fighters and brought them and their families to Capsule Corps for an impromptu get-together. Ever, careful in his ways Vegeta tries his best to disguise Goku, namely vigorous brushing of the bangs to make it resemble Trunks' and tying his crazy hair into a pony tail. From high atop the stairs to the ground floor, Goku peers down at the shadows of the gathering cast against the stair wall somewhat apprehensively. He doesn't recognize any one down there... Except for Bulma and her boys and Gohan and Piccolo, but they don't count.

Meanwhile Vegeta is still fussing with his bangs and a comb and a large bottle of gel. "Damn, this stupid hair of yours! It refuses to change!" Goku shivers when he feels yet another round of gel poured onto his scalp. "When you're down there, I'm going to be referring to you as Vegeta."

Goku blinks. "Let me get this straight. When it's just the two of us, you're going to call me Ximi or Ximitar. When it's in the family, it's Goku. And with everyone else you're just going to call me _Vegeta_?"

"...Yes."

"That's just so confusing!" the boy exclaims, his voice carrying to the group down below and making a few heads turn.

Tossing aside the comb and gel, finally satisfied with the boy's look, Vegeta smirks and starts pulling the saiyajin down the stairs. "Come on Vegeta. Time to meet your former subjects."

Nodding his head gravely, Goku descends the stairs and rounds the turn down to the heavily lit living room, decked out in spare Christmas decorations courtesy of Bulma's mother. Two immense stacks of pizzas lay on the table, ordered in from a 24 hour pizza restaurant. As well as plenty of bottles of sodas, especially for the fighters who had been on high alert ever since early in the morning and are now feeling the delayed stress. And for the first time in his memory, Goku sees his flock.

The senshi turn when they sense the two coming down and eyes wide they stare at the prince who has not changed a day over the years he had been gone and the strangely familiar teenage boy behind him. Vegeta's eyes surmise the group as well. Krillen changed, now sporting a mustache, which frankly to the prince looks like a hairy caterpillar. 18, by his side, had not changed a bit. And Marron looked on the brink of 12. At least she grew a nose though. Yamcha and Tien look much the same, if not a bit more refined by age, though the former bandit had grown a goatee and has a rather skanky little thing clinging on his elbow. Gohan doesn't look well at all, just recovering from his faint.

And ChiChi... ChiChi had cut her hair quite short, sporting light brown highlights, and clothes that look like they belong to a well off doctor's wife. But more importantly...she brought someone with her. Vegeta's eyes narrow as he regards the man. He looks a rather scholarly fellow with gold rimmed glasses, a brown tweed suit and a similar jaunty frame to Goku. Square chinned, dark hair and a goatee like Yamcha's though it was much trimmer.

And of course, the very first thing out of everyone's mouth is; "What happened to Goku?"

Gohan, the poor boy, can only blanch when everyone is blind to the obvious, but with a hard look from Bulma he clenches his mouth shut, looking very irritated. Vegeta coughs into his fist, looking up at the sorry bunch of hopefuls. "I'm sorry to say," he says, which is the very first indication that the fighters shouldn't believe him, "but Prince Goku never recovered from his coma and he wasted away."

Bulma gives him a hard kick to the shin. "All right, woman!" Vegeta snaps at her, annoyed that she ruined the fun before he could see the group's shocked expression. He sighs and winds out the story that the scientist thought would be acceptable to their ears with a resigned tone. "We both were whisked off to the dragon's realm and held as hostages and Prince Goku became a god, while I got sent back down here again."

The senshi look about themselves and say a collective, "That sounds about right." Vegeta rolls his eyes, exasperated that the fighters would take in the much more unlikely story.

Meanwhile ChiChi purses her lips and comes over to the teenager by Vegeta's side. "You look…very familiar. Just like my son." Goku's eyes widen just slightly. What? What does that mean? Isn't this woman supposed to…his wife? …His…mother? It's too much to even –

Vegeta's arm quickly comes up to sweep the younger saiyajin behind him. "That's MY son!" he growls, hiding the boy away before the harpy can get a good look at him.

Yamcha's mouth drops when he hears the slight commotion, "You dog! He's younger than Trunks is! I thought you said you'd die before having another half-breed mongrel!"

The prince's eyes flare in anger, his rage taking over him as the pathetic human not only manages to insult Goku but his other two sons as well. "I'll make you pay for that!" he roars, wresting the front of the bandit's shirt and pulling him down to come nose to nose with him. "I have never said that! He is no half blood mongrel!"

Perhaps Vegeta could have gotten away with that remark…if only he didn't freeze up and look like he said too much. Catching, the look across the prince's face, Krillen frowns, "What do you mean he's not a half-blood?"

"W – well, do you think I would give my namesake to just anyone?" He ignores Trunks' indignant glare and Goku's smug look.

Then Tien decides to put in a cent. "Who's the mother?"

"…What?"

Krillen nods as well, "Yeah, who's the mother? You say he's a full blooded saiyajin, but he's younger than Trunks is. So you're either lying or you managed to find some other saiyajin to impregnate."

To say it is unprecedented would be the understatement of the millennia…but Vegeta is at his wits end. "I – well, I-"

Suddenly, Goku speaks up. "Goku's my mother," he says quickly, managing to train every single set of eyes on him. Sweating profusively at all the looks, especially the utterly scandalized one on his father's face, one stuck between mortification and pure rage, Goku takes off the band holding his hair into a pony tail and then ruffles the sharp mold of the gel in his hair, letting it go back to its natural muss. This makes more than a few people gasp, especially ChiChi who looks like she's about to faint and her…whoever that is…is the only thing that is keeping her from falling to the floor. Gulping, the young saiyajin turns to his father, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I'm – I'm sorry about this Father, I know you wanted to keep this a secret."

Goku turns back to the shocked congregation, wringing his hands together as he flounders for words. "W – well, um, you see…Ever s – since my m – mother defeated Furiza, m – my father harbored a deep seeded obsession with him…that g – grew into a complete unadulterated desire for…my mother."

Strangely enough, the more hullabaloo that comes out of his mouth, Goku finds it easier to spit out some more. And so he goes on to spin the tale of Vegeta's undying passionate love for Goku which includes an elaborate yarn about how Vegeta went off into space in the futile attempt of finding his unrequited love and how the prince had dreamt of his obsession every night and would wake up screaming 'Kakarot!' The teenager doesn't even know where he's pulling all of these names and places and events from, but the group looks pretty convinced, so he decided to stay with it.

His audience is enraptured. Vegeta, however, looks ready to burst into tears. He actually does when Yamcha attempts to comfort him.

Then the story is finally ready to draw to an end. "And then… on the last night of the six days before Cell's death tournament… my father finally went to my mother in the very middle of the night and confessed his love to…him. Of course, my mother already knew that. I mean, it's kind of obvious when someone is THAT obsessed with you. That was the very night that I was…conceived…"

And then Vegeta faints.

Trying to ignore his unconscious father, the teenager continues, "But then when Goku died the next day, I died with him. But my mother was still pregnant when he went up to Heaven. That's why he didn't want to be wished back because he didn't want to have an abortion."

Goku nearly can't stifle a laugh as he finds it very amusing to watch some sort of enlightened expression sift through the fighters' faces at this hogwash. "So I was born in the Otherworld and raised there, even after my mother returned to Earth – a trip that was supposed to last a DAY – I might add. Then when my mother and father got whisked off to the dragon's realm I came to Earth with my father when he returned. And now – here I am."

The senshi are speechless.

That is until Yamcha snaps his fingers and declares, "I knew it! I knew there was something queer about someone who wore spandex day and night!" Then the party erupts into chaos.

ChiChi bursts into tears, pounding on her poor…something's unsuspecting chest, crying, "Oh, that evil hound! On the very night that Goten was conce3ived! How could he betray me like that!" Then she spies Bulma who is in fits on the ground, "Bulma! This is no laughing matter! Vegeta cheated on YOU, too! And they had a LOVE CHILD!" The scientist only laughs harder.

Meanwhile Krillen looks Goku over, studying him now, trying to discern the likenesses to his "parents." "Well, I definitely see the Vegeta in your expression. But aside from the hair, I don't see much Goku in you at all." The boy blanches.

And Vegeta, the poor prince, is put on the couch to be comforted by Marron and the woman who Yamcha brought along with him, which is not helping mattered at all. Gohan tries to comfort his mother, while both Trunks' try to stifle theirs. The rest of the party engage in reminiscent memories of the times when Vegeta had shown that he had a fancy for the only other saiyajin alive and quite surprisingly there are quite a few of them.

Piccolo, the only calm one in the group, pulls Goku away from Krillen's scrutiny and starts tugging the teenager up the stairs. "Hey! Where are you taking me?" Goku demands as they start for the private wing.

"I'm taking you to the Lookout early," Piccolo answers gruffly. "It's the only chance at survival you've got when Vegeta comes to."


	90. Missing Son

Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.

* * *

The night wind is freezing and without the capability to fashion himself a ki shield to protect himself from the harsh cold, Goku feels his whole body start to go numb. Attempting to conserve his body warmth, Goku tightens up on Kinto'un, shivering hard.

Piccolo snorts and tosses his weighted cape over to Goku. "Put that on. It will keep you warm."

"Thanks," the teenager mutters as he wraps it tightly around himself.

"We can get to training your psychic abilities as soon as we get there." _And your ki too_, Piccolo thinks, disgruntled by the fact that the strongest warrior in the universe can't even fly.

"But my dad didn't pay you yet."

A slow smirk snakes its way onto Piccolo's lips. "Seeing Vegeta cry was payment enough. Besides, you showed yourself to already have good control over your psychic powers."

Goku blinks. "What? I did? When?"

"When you mass hypnotized them all, Son!" Piccolo snaps in exasperation. How could Goku not see what he did! "Did you really think that they were stupid enough to believe some cock-bull story you pulled out of your ass without a subconscious nudge?"

"...Yes?"

Piccolo is silent for a moment. "...Well...I do have to admit that you pulled a good story. Are you sure that you don't remember anything from your past life? You knew a hell of a lot of facts for someone who's supposed to be amnesiac..." he says, giving the teenager a suspicious look over.

Goku merely shrugs, "I made it up as I went along. Just looking at them it just came to me."

_...Either he's lying or he was peeking into their minds without realizing it_, Piccolo thinks, his expression turning sour. "Right...And besides which," he adds, intentionally trying to deflate Goku's balloon, "you forgot one very important detail. Your 'mother' was a MAN. Men can't have children."

For a while the young prince's expression is blank. "They can't? But Dad told me you can have babies..."

Piccolo's face streaks purple. "That's different! I'm asexual! I'm an alien from this planet!"

"But aren't my dad and I aliens?" Goku presses. "So why shouldn't my 'mom' be able to?"

"Because that's what women are for!" the namekian warrior yells, his face starting to turn violet.

Goku frowns. "Have you ever seen a saiyajin woman?"

"...No..."

"Me neither. So then how do you know that saiyajin males can't produce children?" the young boy reasons.

For the longest while Piccolo stares at Goku while they fly in the night sky. "...I cannot believe that you out logicked me."

A bright smile is his only reply.

* * *

Piccolo wasn't kidding when he said they'd start right away.

As soon as they touch ground, Goku doesn't even have a second to look in awe at the perfect white architecture before being dragged over to the courtyard and made to sit down on the warm marble.

Piccolo towers above the boy, his arms crossed as he looks down upon the saiyajin. "All right. First of all, cover that monstrous energy of yours. I don't want a rampaging saiyajin prince interrupting lessons."

"...Do what now?"

The nameck just barely manages to keep his face neutral. "You don't know how to do even that?" he asks tightly. Goku shrugs helplessly. "Don't just SHRUG you brat!" Piccolo suddenly explodes, knocking the teenager onto his back. "Every monster that can sense energy on this side of the galaxy will be able to detect you!"

"Piccolo! Calm down!" Goku yipes, staring at the huffing nameck. "I understand, but- I never had to...disguise my ki before. All I had to do at mute point for my whole life was command my ki, not concentrate on it."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Piccolo lets out a heavy sigh. "I suppose I have no choice but to give you a crash course on it..."

After about a couple hours of meditation later, Goku successfully covers nearly half of his ki. "That'll do for now," Piccolo mutters. "Now for your psychic powers."

Looking down at the boy, the nameck gives Goku the once over. "We already know that you read minds, have extreme empathy and can at least slightly hypnotize people. That just leaves the greater powers. Mind control, mind melding and telekinesis."

Like a textbook Piccolo begins to recite the lesson. "Mind melding is the most dangerous one and it is able to permanently damage the mind. We had a lot of trouble with it back when 'Kakarot' came out of his shell." Ignoring Goku's confused look, the sensei continues. "However, telekinesis is undoubtedly the hardest to master and the rarest power. And mind control is merely an extension of hypnotism."

"Dende, you're needed here!" Piccolo suddenly yells.

A moment later, what appears to be a smaller version of Piccolo comes out into the courtyard dressed in a nightie. And he is looking very annoyed indeed. "Piccolo-san, why are you yelling out for people. It's the middle of the night!"

Piccolo nods to Goku, "Hypnotize him, Son."

Dende squawks in surprise before Goku concentrates on him intensely. The demi-god's eyes grow wide and he falls to the ground on his hands and knees, growling like a young leopard.

Raising a hairless brow, Piccolo looks down on his young pupil. "Impressive. You didn't even have to make eye to eye contact with him. Now try mind control. Make him jump off the edge of the Lookout. It's something self-destructive and/or against his nature."

"...And he normally acts like an animal?"

"In private, yes." Piccolo answers without a beat. "Now make him jump off of the temple ledge."

Goku looks over to the young nameck, his stomach tightening heatedly. "I don't want to."

"He's not going to get hurt," Piccolo scoffs.

"I still don't want to! I don't like the idea of any of these powers!" the young saiyajin growls, spouting his genuine feelings. "It feels wrong to me!"

Sighing, Piccolo gentles his expression and places a hand onto Goku's shoulder. "Son, if you don't have a good hold over these powers, you won't know when you actually are controlling someone else's mind. You must practice these powers."

Goku stays silent, glaring at his teacher. In an act of defiance, he releases Dende from his hypnotism and keeps his eyes level with the nameck.

Piccolo snorts. _Stubborn Son._

"...What just happened?" Dende asks, looking about wildly and easily ignored by the two.

"...Fine, have it your way." Goku grins widely when Piccolo concedes that point. "But now telekinesis. Stay here a moment."

Ducking into the temple, Piccolo comes back out with a drawer full of silverware. He takes out a teaspoon, handing it to the young teenager. Dende stumbles over, his eyes widening as he sees the drawer. "Piccolo! That's the good silverware!"

His protest goes unheard. "Just bend the spoon, Son." Goku blinks and shrugs. Then he snaps the thing in two between his fingers...earning himself a smack over the head. "Son! With your MIND!"

The prince pouts, "Well, you should have said so!" Goku picks up another spoon, much to Dende's angst, a large serving spoon this time and concentrates on it much like he did with Dende.

...Nothing.

For long, long minutes, the two namecks watch the young saiyajin stress and strain to bend the metal with his mind, nearly turning purple in the process and all for naught.

"I guess telekinesis is not your forte," Dende sighs, taking a breath of relief after 10 minutes pass.

"No! I-I almost have it!" Goku hisses, concentrating fully on the spoon, sweat dripping heavily down his chin onto the white marble floor.

Unexpectedly, the spoon suddenly begins to vibrate, making both Dende and Piccolo lean in closer to inspect it. Goku grinds his teeth together and squeezes his eyes shut, pushing himself beyond his limits. _Come on, come on! Just MOVE!_

The spoon explodes, erecting loud shrieks from all of them, including Goku who instantly drops the singed handle as though it were a live electrical cable. Staring hard at the spoon handle and at Goku, Dende and Piccolo stay silent, not sure what to make of what just happened.

_...Was that Goku accidentally using his ki? Or did he disintegrate a spoon with his mind?_

Awkwardly, Goku rubs his right arm trying to get some feeling back into it after the shock. He's not too sure about what to make of the other two's stares.

No one says a word until Mr. Popo comes out wearing his own pinstriped pajamas. "What is going on out here?" All three look up at him, suddenly finding the genie a welcoming distraction. Mr. Popo shines a lantern out into the darkness. "There was such a- Oh! Who is this! Vegeta's son, is it?"

Goku's jaw drops when he sees the rather stout ebony skinned genie. "I...ah, I..." Okay, he really should be used to all these weird people by now! he yells at himself, but he can't help staring at Mr. Popo. "I...how did you know?"

"I have Chiaotsu on speed dial," the genie explains calmly, skirting about the saiyajin, taking a look at him. "Hmmm..."

_What the heck's the Hmmm for!_ Goku wonders.

"Your posture isn't bad," Mr. Popo mumbles, mostly to himself. "And neither is your hair. But you most certainly don't dress or SMELL like one of royalty! We shall have to take care of that right away!" Without warning, the genie grapples the saiyajin's wrist.

Mr. Popo quickly directs the little saiyajin prince over to the baths for some deep soak scrubbing, Goku not completely unaware of his own plight.

Dende frowns at the strange spectacle and looks over to Piccolo. "Why is Mr. Popo so gung-ho about taking care of Goku-san all of a sudden?"

Smirking quite evilly, the older nameck directs the young god over towards the baths, following the two. How ironic that the young boy is going to suffer because of his Vegeta-appointed title. "Popo's been itching to get his hands on royalty for years," Piccolo chuckles. "He was the manservant to the divine royal family of Artush for hundreds of years before a drought of ten years ruined the country. It was at that time that Kami, I forget which one, decided to take Popo on. Problem was, he and all the Kami's after him were adults."

A bigger smirk slides onto the fighter's face as his sensitive ears pick up the cry of startlement coming from behind the double doors to the Temple's baths. "Popo's passion was always taking care of the children of the royal family and right now Goku's close enough for him." He chuckles menacingly. "Son's going to get massacred."

* * *

A pained wince comes to Goku's face as he sits down on the soft cushions of the love seat on the balcony. That Mr. Popo is insane! When he said "Oh I'll take you for a bath," Goku had thought it meant "I'll find you a pond so that you can just dunk yourself in it." Definitely not "I'm going to toss you in a thousand degree water and then rub your skin raw with lava rocks and then put this stuff on your scalp, massaging it until you're dizzy and then put this weird ointment all over you that's going to make it hurt even worse and then throw you into these unnecessarily foofy clothes."

...Okay, they aren't THAT foofy, but it's much more prettiness than he's used to. Goku fingers the sleeve of the light blue silk tunic with a sigh. Even Trunks' clothes were just jeans and a T-shirt.

But still! Right now his skin felt like there were fire ants all over him! Maybe if he just stayed still for the next two days it would be alright...

"Hey Piccolo," he mutters dejectedly, not turning to see as the larger fighter enters the room.

Piccolo walks up to his side and looks down on the small boy. "You shouldn't rely on your mental prowess so heavily. There may come a time that somebody finds a way to work it against you."

Goku blinks. "How did you know I was using my mind?"

"Because I know that your ki skills are not up to par as they should be," the nameck answers delicately, though the saiyajin can sense that what he really means is "_Your ki skills are crap_."

The boy scowls and looks over out at the starlit heavens. "Do you think my dad's really going to kill me?"

Piccolo is silent for a time. "It's...really hard to tell with that saiyajin. But no, I don't believe he would or else he would have done it already."

"What do you mean?" Goku asks, finding the statement puzzling. "You mean – just from tonight? What if he's still unconscious?"

"I...Son, how much do you know about your past?"

"Nothing," the young teenager replies quickly. "And I don't want to know anything about it."

Piccolo purses his lip, wondering if this is truly a wise decision. "Son, I don't know how much you remember about your old techniques, but they made you truly powerful. One of the most powerful beings in the universe."

Goku opens his mouth and closes it. "I...Piccolo, I'm...afraid of..." he whispers, bringing his knees up under his chin to hug them. "I don't want to be a...different person."

"Dammit, Son!" the nameck suddenly bursts, making the boy wince under his words. "You have an obligation to this world to protect it! Sometimes sacrifices have to be-!"

"PICCOLO!" comes a sharp cry from behind him, indignant and furious. The larger fighter turns about and sees Dende glaring venom at him from the doorway. "Get over here, Piccolo! I have to talk to you!"

Scowling from being reprimanded like a child, Piccolo reluctantly obeys the young Kami. "What is it, pip-" His words are interrupted by a fist to the face, hard enough to make him stagger back from the shock of it.

Dende shakes his hand after the hard throw, his eyes steeling against the sudden anger in his mentor. "Piccolo, how DARE you make that speech to him!" he hisses, making Piccolo stagger back in shock again. He had never seen the young Kami so angry.

"Goku doesn't owe the Earth! If anything, the Earth owes him! You preach about sacrifice when Goku-san's given everything for his home time and time again!"

Growing petulant, Piccolo argues back. "Dende, he can't even become a super saiyajin! He's useless compared to his old self!"

"Leave that to Vegeta!" Dende snaps. "I'm sure that he wouldn't have bothered having you go through the trouble of helping to hone Goku's psychic skills if he didn't give a damn about his training!" Taking a breath, the young nameck continues, making Piccolo follow him as he walks away from the prince's room. "I've never felt Goku's heart so light."

The statement makes Piccolo jolt in surprise. "What?"

Dende smiles ruefully. "Oh it's true he was so happy-go-lucky back then, but you can't see your friends keep dying in front of your eyes and not be affected by it. I'm sure every time he looked at his children he remembered the time that he let them die. He deserves to be truly happy. And it seems like having a father is good for him."

"Doesn't Gohan deserve to be happy, too?" Piccolo growls.

The young god pauses his stroll, a guilty jab taking a stab at him. Of course Gohan did. Everyone did, but... "Piccolo...you know that if Goku gets his memories back he's not going to turn back into the Goku that Gohan knows.

"The river changes with each passing second. It is the same with people. Gohan knew his father since they flowed together in time. But then they separated for too long. Goku can never go back to the way that he was. You KNOW this."

Piccolo is silent, his large hands tightening into fists as he looks away from Dende and to the white walls of the temple.

"I see you understand." Dende sighs. "Now leave Goku to rest. You can continue training him in the morning."

* * *

Slowly, the morning sun forces the young prince's bottle green eyes open to an unfamiliar ceiling. ...Goku frowns wearily. The height of the ceiling seems a lot shorter than it should be. Panic races through him, making him shoot up from his bed and wildly look at his surroundings. Everything looks so different from before!

The boxy room is tiny and cluttered with a great many things that Goku had never seen before. And what the heck was he sleeping in? A bed on stilts? His green eyes peep over the edge of the mattress.

Oh wow, he did! No wonder he slept so well! ...Wait, why was he here?

Goku hops off of the bed on stilts and onto a soft heap of clothes. He saw a dresser with a couple pictures on it, the only personal effects in the room. Sighing, Goku knocks on the bed post and goes to examine the pictures. His heart suddenly skips a beat when he recognizes the people in the small photo.

"That's Dad!" he exclaims, snatching the frame up from the generic wooden dresser. "And Gohan, too! But he's so much younger!" His eyes stray to the third person, a man clad in a hideous orange and blue gi, wrapping an arm around a very disgruntled looking prince. And the stranger has the same dopey expression and smile as Gohan...

Goku trembles as he stares at the man, as it slowly dawns on him exactly who this person is. His fingers come up to the glass and trace the face of the man. This...this is...

His green eyes suddenly narrow as the saiyajin inspects the stranger. "So...you're Gohan's father..." Unable to look at it any longer, Goku slaps the frame face down onto the dresser. "So this must be where Gohan lives," he mumbles to himself out loud, trying to distract himself from the disturbing picture.

The teenager nudges a pair of jeans on the floor with his foot. "Kind of a slob." He picks them up to toss them into the laundry hamper, but then something inside the mesh hamper catches his eye. "What the..." He puts a hand into the dirty clothes and fishes around, pulling out a white T-shirt, revealing six orange orbs with red stars in their centers.

"Holy crap," Goku whispers, starting to shake again.

He knows what these are.

He knows **_exactly_ **what these are.

He's suffered through too many of his father's rants to not know what these are.

And considering that he's in Gohan's living place and what Gohan wants from him and that picture, it is NOT a good thing that these things are here.

He has to get away from here.

Goku instantly grabs a backpack from the chair, dumping out all the contents onto the floor and stuffing in the dragon balls.

A thought suddenly occurs to him. "What about money?" He got into trouble because of it before. Dang, he's probably going to have to blend in with the ningen too, which was why he couldn't fly yesterday in front of them. Bunch of cowards.

With a heavy sigh, Goku tucks his tail into his baggy pants and searches about the desk for a rubber band to tie back his pony tail. Then he searches for this thing called 'money'...

* * *

The entire complex of Capsule Corps shakes on its foundations as an enraged roar echoes through the halls. "WHERE IS HE!"

Mirai dashes down to the living room where he manages to catch his father before he rages outside. "Dad! What's the matter!"

Furious, Vegeta turns on him and yells, "Goku is missing! I can't sense him anywhere! And he hasn't learned how to control his ki yet! I should be able to detect him at least a little!" Beyond agitation, the saiyajin prince begins to pace helplessly. "I knew I shouldn't have brought him out of Mute Point!" he yells at himself.

"Dad!" Mirai shouts, grabbing his father's attention. "Just calm down," he says, trying to smooth the prince's ruffled feathers. "Just change into some regular clothes first and we'll go over to the Lookout."

Looking down, Vegeta barely registers he's still in his boxers. With an annoyed growl he runs up to his room.

The teenager sighs and calmly extends his senses to search for that enormous ki. But...nothing. With a confused frown he extends his senses further and further until he's sure that the entire surface of the Earth is covered. "Oh my God," he whispers, a dreadful panic slowly coming over him. "He's gone again!"

* * *

Goku looks down at the small plastic card while walking out into a large green campus, barefoot and his dragon ball laden backpack slung over his shoulder. "I guess this is money," he mutters to himself.

A few college students give him funny looks as he passes by. One of them, a concerned junior girl, walks up to him and taps him on the shoulder. "Hey kid, do you need some help?" she asks kindly.

"I'm 14," Goku replies crossly. "But yes, I could do with some help thanks. Do you know which direction Capsule Corps is in?"

The junior frowns, contemplating the question a minute before she answers. "Well, the branch is south east of here, downtown."

"Actually, I want the one in West City."

Staring hard, the girl yelps, "W-what! But that's on the other side of the country!"

"Oh..." From the way she says it, it must be a really long way then. "And which direction is that?" His guide, quite sure that the boy's a loony or some prat recruited by the local frat, points over westwards. Goku grins and bows, "Thank you very much!" He then spots a pair of sneakers laced together over her sports bag. They look about his size.

"Hey, can I have those? Thanks!" Before the girl can get a word in, the saiyajin boy grabs her shoes and tosses the credit card to her. "The kingdom of Vegeta-sei thanks you!" he calls back with a grin, running off with his back to the morning sun.

Running at speeds enough to be merely a blur to the normal eyes, Goku decides that with these weirdoes, he better not call Kinto'un until he was out of the city limits.

* * *

Gohan ITs on the edge of the white marble courtyard with a small click of his leather shoes. Muttering incoherent complaints to himself, he loosens the tie around his neck and takes off his uniform jacket. He only has a little bit of time to spare before his next class. Now if only he can get the last-

"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR PLEASANTRIES!" the college student stops dead in his tracks, freezing as soon as the familiar voice booms out of the temple. "JUST TELL ME IF YOU CAN FIND HIM OR NOT!"

Uh oh...Gohan holds up two fingers, ready to flash himself out of there, only to be stopped by a "Gohan."

The demi-saiyajin jerks in surprise and spins around to smile nervously at his mentor. "Oh, hey Piccolo! Sorry, I can't stay long, but I need to get going to my classes and-" Piccolo merely grabs him by the shirt and drags him over to the interior of the palace and towards his imminent doom. "Hey! Let me go!" Gohan cries helplessly, but before he knows it, he's already in front of an infuriated and very unkempt looking prince and Gohan's also ticked off sparring partner.

Gohan gulps and nods to the both of them, after Piccolo relinquishes his shirt. "Vegeta. Mirai."

Oblivious, Dende smiles and waves at the teenager, "Oh hey! Gohan! I have that dragon ball that I've been safekeeping for you!"

Vegeta's black eyes narrow even further and he growls, "Dragon ball? Would you care to explain?"

The ebony haired demi stutters out, "W-well, you see I haven't been doing so well with my grades lately-"

"Gohan, you're a terrible liar," Mirai says, cutting his sparring partner off before he can make himself look even more ridiculous. "Just tell us the truth."

Hesitating, Gohan clenches his fists and matches Vegeta's glare. "I took my dad, okay? And I was going to wish him back to his old self." There is instantly uproar.

"WHAT!" Mirai yelps, staring hard at the Son.

"You LIED to me?" Dende yells in complete disbelief. "You can't lie to Kami!"

"More importantly," Piccolo interrupts, before the little kami can go off into a tirade, "is where you put him."

Gohan frowns in confusion. "What?"

Unfolding his arms and closing the distance between he and Gohan, Vegeta spits out, "Are you as clueless as your father! Why don't you try sensing him!"

Even more confused, Gohan does so, only to come to the same shocking result that all of them already have. "That's...that's impossible! I only took him to my dorm and let him sleep there! He couldn't-"

"YES HE COULD HAVE!" Vegeta shouts, jolting Gohan back to attention. "Because he's either at Mute Point, which is impossible to find without a damn map! Or Blade could have-"

"Hey guys, what are you all doing here?"

The collective look up, only to nearly piss themselves when they see Goku on Kinto'Un, hovering above the lot. Another uproar ensues.

Mirai jumps back with a yelp, "What the-"

"How did you do that!" Dende demands, stricken with awe.

"And how are you keeping your ki perfectly masked!" Piccolo shouts, the most shocked out of them all. He's the master of ki detention! How had the punk who can't even control his ki one up him like this!

"How am I keeping...what?" Goku asks in complete confusion. All the namekian warrior can do is grind his teeth in irritation. Now the brat's just mocking him!

"Get down off that cloud RIGHT NOW!" Vegeta orders angrily, pointing to the marble floor. Sheepishly, the young boy obeys him and slips down off the cloud in front of his father, expecting harsh retribution. The prince glares at the boy, his angry expression never faulting.

Suddenly, in his only moment of public weakness he grabs Goku, wrapping his arms tightly around the teenager's lanky frame. Eyes wide, Goku's confusion grows when his father lets out one long, cold, shuddering breath.

The desperate embrace is gone and Vegeta swiftly regains his composure. "Well..." the prince coughs, trying to shake off his embarrassment, "despite the circumstances, I'm glad you've found a way to mask your ki." He coughs into his fist again, unable to look anyone in the eye. "It is a perfect cover against Blade." He lets out another long breath. "Now, let's go back home."

Taking Goku's wrist in hand, Vegeta starts leading the stunned teenager over towards the edge of the Lookout.

Gohan reaches for his father's hand. "Dad..."

Vegeta is on him before Gohan can even blink. "DON'T TOUCH HIM!" he screams, fisting the front of Gohan's shirt. "DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HIM AGAIN!"

After an awkward pause, the prince shoves the demi to the floor and takes off, holding his son closely to him.

Mirai barely manages to keep his mouth from gaping open and he turns to Gohan, helping him up from the floor. "Gohan...I..."

"Just go," his partner snaps, glaring at Mirai. "Go enjoy your new brother."

Shifting awkwardly for a moment, the boy from the future leaves without a word, shooting a glance back at his friend before following his father off the Lookout.

"What were you thinking?" Dende grates out, sparing no sympathy for the demi-saiyajin.

"Not you, too!" Gohan cries.

"I meant about the wish," the nameck explains agitatively. "Do you have any idea what the consequences would have been if you had made that wish?" The demi-saiyajin says nothing, sullenly looking away from the small kami. "Gohan..." Dende says, laying a hand on the young man's shoulder, "your father has changed too much to safely change him back to who he once was. You would have killed him in the process."

Then Dende adds, "And I daresay that Vegeta would simply kill you no matter what the results of the wish."

"I just...wanted my father back..." Gohan whispers softly, a sliver of a tear trailing down his cheek.

Dende watches him awkwardly, his hold on the teenager's shoulder tightening, trying to reassure him. "I'm sorry," he says, letting his hand drop to his side and he walks back to the inner temple.

Piccolo looks on the boy, his heart wrenching at his mentee's suffering. Clenching and unclenching his fist, he feels useless.

"Piccolo," Gohan suddenly says, not giving the nameck a glance. "Can you try to figure out exactly how my father was born?"

His mentor nods. "I'll do my best." With that, he leaves the demi-saiyajin alone, ready to start his mission.


End file.
